After Two Years of Fighting, Russia Captures Vuhledar

Russian troops captured Vuhledar on Wednesday after battling over the eastern Ukrainian town since the start of the war in 2022. Footage shows that the Russian and Soviet flags were raised atop a ruined building of the devastated town.

Why it matters: The capture of the mining town allows Russia to protect a nearby railway supply line that brings in supplies from Russia-occupied Crimea. It also gives Russia access to one of the largest coal reserves in Ukraine.

The victory puts Russian President Vladimir Putin one step closer to achieving his goal of taking the entire Donbas region, of which Russia now controls about 80 percent.

Costly victory: During the fighting, over 800 Russian military vehicles were lost and more Russian troops were killed than the entire 14,000 prewar population of the town.

Although costly, the victory could clear the way for Russia to take Pokrovsk, a crucial logistics hub for Ukraine.

Prince of Russia: While the war has been much more costly and prolonged than expected, the Trumpet expects Putin to survive and fight much larger wars in the future. Several Bible prophecies talk about a massive end-time alliance of Asian nations that will be led by Putin, whom the Bible names the “prince of Rosh.”

To learn more about Putin’s prophesied role, order a free copy of The Prophesied ‘Prince of Russia,’ by Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry.