Russian forces have begun storming the eastern Ukrainian town of Vuhledar, a stronghold that has resisted Russian attack since the beginning of the 2022 conflict, according to Russian military bloggers and state media.

"Russian units have entered Vuhledar - the storm of the town has begun," said Yuri Podolyaka, a Ukrainian-born, pro-Russian military blogger. Multiple pro-Russian bloggers confirmed the attack.

A Ukrainian brigade of about 2,000 people was under threat of encirclement in the city, according to Forbes' military analyst.

Russian state media said the hilltop town in the Donetsk region, which some cast as a fortress due to its enduring resistance to Russian attack, was caught in a pincer movement by Russian forces and that battles were underway in the east of the settlement.

Unverified video on social media showed a town under heavy artillery fire.

Russian forces in eastern Ukraine advanced at their fastest rate in two years in August, according to multiple open source maps, even though a Ukrainian incursion into Russia's Kursk region sought to force Moscow to divert troops.

Military blogger Boris Rozhin (Colonelcassad) added the Russian military has been within Ugledar for two days now, since they occupied the "Ugledar dachas" - a suburb formally part of the city.

Ukrainian blogger Serhii Sternenko reported that the situation in the city is critical. He suggested Russia would capture it in the coming days.

Ukraine's general staff said on Tuesday that Russia had made attempts to capture Ukrainian positions near Pavlivka and Vuhledar but gave no further details. There was no immediate comment from the Russian defence ministry.

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