Russia’s Defense Ministry announced Friday that its forces had captured the coal mining town of Toretsk amid the slow but steady advance of its forces in Donetsk region. Russia calls the same town by the name of Dzerzhinsk, and state media is declaring its 'liberation' after Ukraine forces had long held it.
Journalist Guy Elster also wrote on X, "Russia said its forces had seized the key mining town of Toretsk in east Ukraine after months of fighting."
Ukraine's military had used Toretsk primarily as a staging ground from which to launch almost daily artillery, missile, and drone strikes on Russian front line positions in Donbass.
"The Russia’s claimed fall of Toretsk, if confirmed, would advance its sweep across the Donetsk, which has cost Moscow heavily in troops and armor but has paid dividends for the Kremlin," AP continues.
"In the offensive, Russian forces crush settlements with the brute force of 3,000-pound (1,300-kilo) glide bombs, artillery, missiles and drones, then send in infantry units to attack the exposed defenders."
Last year saw the area towns and cities of Avdiivka and Vuhledar fall to the Russian onslaught, with last month Velyka Novosilka as well as Kurakhove falling.
The Russian Defense Ministry has also announced that the two small villages of Druzhba and Krymskoye, which lie to the northeast of Toretsk, have been taken this week.
Aftermath video showing war-ravaged Toretsk:
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