Vuhledar, a town Ukrainian forces fought tooth and nail to keep for two years, is the latest urban settlement to fall to the Russians. It follows a vicious summer campaign along the eastern front that saw Kyiv cede several thousand square kilometers (miles) of territory.

"The higher command authorized a manoeuvre to withdraw units from Vuhledar in order to save personnel and military equipment and take up a position for further operations," Ukraine's Khortytsia group of forces said on Oct.

Russia and Ukraine, Russian forces have seized full control of the strategic hilltop town of Vuhledar in Ukraine's Donetsk region. The Ukrainian military confirmed the loss on Wednesday, acknowledging a major setback for Kyiv’s defense efforts in the east of the country.