Ukraine Claims Recapture of Town of Urozhaine

Facts

• Ukraine claimed the recapture of the western Donetsk town of Urozhaine on Wednesday, marking its first substantial gains in weeks after retaking a string of villages from Russian troops in the middle of June.¹
• Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar confirmed liberating Urozhaine in the occupied Donetsk region, adding the country's "defenders are consolidating their positions."²
• Oleg Chekhov, a military spokesman for Russia's Battlegroup East, didn't acknowledge Urozhaine's loss. Instead, he claimed that Russian forces damaged Ukrainian troops and armored vehicles near the village.³
• However, Rybar, a prominent Russian military blogger, suggested that Urozhaine had become a "gray zone" — a term typically used by pro-Russia voices to minimize the scale of losses — after Russian forces withdrew from the village.¹
• Urozhaine is the first village Kyiv claims it has recaptured — which could bring Ukraine closer to Staromlynivka, a Russian stronghold — since retaking neighboring Staromaiorske on July 27.⁴
• Meanwhile, the Institute for the Study of War claims Russian forces had likely "largely withdrawn from the core of the settlement to positions on its outskirts. However, Ukrainian forces have likely not yet established full control of central or southern Urozhaine, where limited skirmishes for control are likely ongoing."⁵

Sources: ¹Newsweek (a), ²UKRINFORM, ³TASS, ⁴Reuters, and ⁵Newsweek (b).

Narratives

• Pro-Ukraine narrative, as provided by CNN. While the recapture of Urozhaine doesn't represent a significant strategic gain, it shows that Ukrainian forces continue to drive forward. Regaining its territory is a step in the right direction and brings Ukraine closer to breaking through Russia's defenses.
• Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by TASS. Russian forces continue to engage in battles for the village of Urozhaine. Over the past day, Putin's troops destroyed several Ukrainian vehicles while landing strikes at groups of Ukrainian personnel. This news of logistically significant Urozhaine's loss is false.

Predictions