Ukrainian forces withdrew from the area of the Uspenivka and Trudove settlements in Donetsk Oblast after "heavy defensive battles," the Khortytsia group of forces said on Dec. 20.
The statement came in reaction to the DeepState monitoring group claiming that some troops did not manage to pull back after Russia captured the two settlements, completing the capture of the so-called Uspenivka pocket.
Russia's Defense Ministry announced the capture of Uspenivka on Dec. 20. Analysts have been long warning that the Russian advance threatens to encircle Ukrainian troops in the area.
The sector lies roughly 8 kilometers (5 miles) south of the embattled front-line town of Kurakhove.
"Commander-in-Chief (Oleksandr Syrskyi) decided to withdraw Defense Forces units from the said area to avoid encirclement," the Khortytsia group of forces said, refuting claims about stranded soldiers.
"The units, which have been fighting heavy defensive battles against a superior force for a long time, carried out necessary maneuvers to avoid encirclement and continue performing tasks on the Kurakhove-Konstantynopolske axis."
According to DeepState, Russia is regrouping in the newly captured area and attacking in the direction of the Shevchenko-Andriivka section, threatening to create a new pocket. Russian forces are now focusing their efforts on the nearby town of Andriivka.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.
Throughout the autumn, Russian forces have made operational gains in southern Donetsk Oblast, particularly near Toretsk, Chasiv Yar, and Kupiansk, while advancing on Russian soil in Kursk Oblast.
Syrskyi said on Dec. 19 that Russian forces are carrying out simultaneous attacks along the front line, claiming that "Ukrainian defense forces did not allow Russian forces to breach the defense and achieve operational success in any direction."
Ukraine is increasingly on the back foot of the war as its resources grow thin, and the prospects of vitally important Western aid remain uncertain following the U.S. election victory of Donald Trump.
Asami Terajima
(Updated: )
