Based on the type of deposits it was found in, Vladlenosaurus probably inhabited lacustrine, or lake, habitats.
[1] Vladlenosaurus is similar in appearance to the benthosuchids, a group of trematosauroid temnospondyls, but is more closely related to mastodonsauroids.
Among capitosaurs, it shares many features with the basal form Wetlugasaurus, also from the Early Triassic of Russia.
[2] In a 2011 phylogenetic analysis, the first to incorporate Vladlenosaurus, the genus was found to be most closely related to Odenwaldia.
Below is a modified cladogram from Fortuny et al (in press) showing the relationship of Vladlenosaurus to other stereospondyls:[1] Lydekkerina Rhinesuchidae Wetlugasaurus Odenwaldia Vladlenosaurus Edingerella Watsonisuchus Xenotosuchus Cherninia Paracyclotosaurus Stenotosauridae Heylerosauridae Mastodonsauridae Trematosauria