Ukraine's 72nd Mechanized "Black Zaporizhians" Reaffirm Vuhledar Defense

The 72nd Mechanized Brigade has reaffirmed their determination to hold Vuhledar - as they have done for over two years. 

They may yet be ordered to withdraw if the situation becomes untenable, but that time is not now. JL

Decimus reports in Daily Kos:

The 72nd Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Army(aka the Black Zaporozhians), with their proud long history of service, going back to the early years of the erstwhile Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic are exacting a huge toll on the oncoming Russians.  They, along with other Ukrainian army formations, have fought hard to keep Vuhledar out of the clutches of the Russians in numerous fierce and storied battles since 2022.  The town has virtually been leveled to the ground by Russian bombardment.  But still they stay.

They may yet receive the order to perform one of the toughest military maneuvers … a fighting withdrawal, from the the once bustling coal mining but now embattled Southwestern Donetsk Oblast town of Vuhledar.  The Russian hordes are slowly creeping in on three sides and many experts and observers expect to see the Ukrainian forces still holding “Fortress Vuhledar” to relinquish their hold and fight their way out as they fall back unto more secure Ukrainian lines.

But the 72nd Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Army(aka the Black Zaporozhians), with their proud long history of service, going back to the early years of the erstwhile Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic will not do so gladly.  They, along with other Ukrainian army formations, have fought hard to keep Vuhledar out of the clutches of the Russians in numerous fierce and storied battles since 2022.  The town has virtually been leveled to the ground by Russian bombardment.  But still they stay, exacting a huge toll on the oncoming Russians.  Oksana Volodymyrivna Rubaniak, call sign “Xena” is one of them.  The soft-spoken petite 21 year old is a fierce machine gunner and a platoon commander with the 72nd.  In more peaceful times she is a poet, writer and a civic activist.  She says of her job ... “I didn’t choose the machine gun, but it chose me instead.”  And then she adds:

“Both then and now, I dreamed of being useful. I wanted my contribution to the history of Ukraine to be only positive. Maybe it sounds a little childish or naive, but that’s how it was and still is.”

And here she is speaking of her experiences in a Tiktok video posted on Facebook

www.facebook.com/…

It is not only Oksana who is standing her ground.  The entire brigade would like the rest of the world to know that “We are here”(emphasis mine):

“We, the soldiers of the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade, want to dispel all doubts and opinions of pseudo-experts that the 72nd Brigade has left the town of Vuhledar. Despite heavy assaults and difficult circumstances, we are here. Today is September 26, 2024. Glory to Ukraine!” 

global.espreso.tv/...

As Oksana says … “Victory will come, but not as quickly as we would like it to. However, nothing is given for free...”.   Undaunted Ukraine.