The Ukrainian operation in Russia's Kursk Oblast is yet to have an impact on the fighting in the Toretsk sector in Donetsk Oblast, a spokesperson of the 32nd Separate Mechanized Brigade said on air on Aug. 13.
Russian forces continue attacking Toretsk, and battles have now reached the outskirts of the town, military spokesperson Oleksandr Bordiian told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Russia keeps sending sabotage groups and increased the frequency of airstrikes, he added.
The statement comes the same day as Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said the cross-border operation in Kursk Oblast aims to divert Russian troops from Donetsk Oblast, among other goals.
"As for the ground attacks, yes, the intensity has dropped a bit... They did not decrease significantly, but they (Russian forces) are trying to compensate for this by increased strikes with guided aerial bombs," Bordiian said.
The spokesperson also reported battles in the immediate proximity of Toretsk, specifically in the urban area of the Pivnichne-Zalizne agglomeration. Russia deploys small sabotage groups to infiltrate the Ukrainian army's immediate rear, he said.
The Toretsk sector in Donetsk Oblast has become another hotspot in recent weeks, with Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reporting that heavy fighting near Toretsk and Pokrovsk has expanded the active Russia-Ukraine front line.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) think-tank said on Aug. 5 that Russia had made "significant tactical advances in the Toretsk direction," pointing to geolocated footage of Russian forces in Druzhba east of Toretsk.
Russia also continues to press against other Donetsk Oblast towns, namely Chasiv Yar and Pokrovsk.
Elsa Court
(Updated: )
