KYIV, Ukraine — On Friday, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced that its troops had taken control of the coal mining town of Toretsk, marking a significant achievement in the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, where Ukrainian defenses are reportedly weakening.
Ukrainian officials have yet to issue a response to this claim. Yevhen Alkhimov, a spokesperson for the 28th Brigade stationed near Toretsk, expressed skepticism regarding the Russian assertion. He stated via phone that his unit had not changed its position, suggesting that if Toretsk had indeed fallen, they would have been relocated.
The Russian military, far larger than its Ukrainian counterpart, has been engaged in a relentless year-long offensive along the eastern front, slowly eroding Ukraine’s grasp on its territories as the conflict nears its fourth year this month. This assault coincides with growing apprehension over the continuity of military aid from the United States. President Donald Trump has expressed intents to prioritize American interests and end the war, although his pathway to achieving peace remains unclear.
Alkhimov confirmed that his brigade continues to maintain its defensive positions as of Friday afternoon, indicating that “intense (Russian) assault operations are ongoing.” An open-source mapping tool, DeepState, commonly utilized by military personnel and analysts, illustrated that Ukrainian forces were located on the northwest outskirts of Toretsk, with some soldiers still inside the town.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that the Ukrainian military has heavily fortified Toretsk, creating a complex system of underground communications and transforming almost every structure into a defensible position. Furthermore, Ukrainian forces are said to have utilized coal mines and waste heaps to strengthen their defenses in the town’s western and northern sectors.
If Russia’s claim regarding the fall of Toretsk is validated, it would represent a significant advancement in their campaign throughout Donetsk. Although the offensive has exacted a heavy toll on Russian troops and equipment, it has also yielded strategic gains for the Kremlin. Typically, Russian forces apply overwhelming force using heavy munitions, such as 3,000-pound (1,300-kilo) glide bombs, artillery, missiles, and drones, before deploying infantry units to assault weakened defenders.
This year, Kurakhove became the first major town to surrender under this intensified Russian campaign, which previously succeeded in capturing Avdiivka and Vuhledar last year. Additionally, last month, Russian forces seized Velyka Novosilka in the same region.
These towns were crucial components of Ukrainian defensive lines in the east, with Russia also targeting key logistical centers like Pokrovsk and the strategically essential city of Chasiv Yar. Moscow aims to assert dominance over all regions of Donetsk and neighboring Luhansk, which together form Ukraine’s industrial heartland, known as the Donbas.
The scale of Russia’s assault on frontline Ukrainian cities has dramatically intensified in 2024, utilizing glide bombs and a growing network of airstrips, as analyzed through drone images, satellite footage, Ukrainian reports, and Russian media last year.
In a separate development, the head of the U.N. atomic energy agency met on Friday in Moscow with the leader of Russia’s state nuclear energy organization, Rosatom, to discuss safety concerns surrounding the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southern Ukraine. Rafael Grossi, chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency, referred to the situation around Europe’s largest nuclear facility as “unprecedented,” given its location within an active combat zone.
Earlier in Kyiv, Grossi recounted “a few occasions where we had close calls” regarding the nuclear plant, which remains under Russian control.
