Russian forces have reached the outskirts of Toretsk, a frontline city in eastern Ukraine, less than a week after the fall of the key town of Vuhledar, Ukraine’s military reported late Monday.
“The situation is unstable, with fighting happening at nearly every entrance to the city,” said Anastasiia Bobovnikova, spokesperson for the Operational Tactical Group “Luhansk,” in an interview with Ukraine’s national broadcaster. “The Russians have entered the eastern outskirts of the city.”
The Russian defense ministry did not immediately comment, though earlier in the day, it claimed to have inflicted damage on Ukrainian forces and equipment near several settlements, including Toretsk. Russian military bloggers and analysts, such as those from the Rybar Telegram channel, also reported that Russian troops were advancing towards the town’s center.
This latest advance—similar to the capture of Vuhledar—highlights Russia’s superiority in manpower and firepower, as Ukraine continues to request more weapons from its Western allies. Since August, Russia has been slowly pushing toward Toretsk, taking one village after another with the help of guided bombs.
In response to these territorial losses, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has instructed his military leadership to do everything possible to slow Moscow’s advance along the frontline.
Toretsk has been a key frontline city for a decade, ever since Russian-backed separatists seized nearby territories in 2014. It now serves as a major defensive stronghold for Kyiv’s forces. For Russia, capturing the town, known as Dzerzhinsk until 2016, would be a significant step towards President Vladimir Putin’s goal of taking the Donbas region.
The fall of Toretsk, situated on high ground, would enable Russia to disrupt crucial supply lines, including the major Pokrovsk-Kostyantynivka road, which supports Ukrainian forces in the area.
After the failed attempt to seize Kyiv in 2022, Putin has refocused his efforts on capturing the Donbas, a region that has seen some of the fiercest battles in Europe in generations.
