0of 5,000

Help us find 5,000 new members. Bring one friend.

Share your personal link and make us stronger in 2027.

0 found so far

Goal 5,000

News Feed

Russia begins movement near Toretsk, uses military equipment, Kyiv says

• 2 min read
Russia begins movement near Toretsk, uses military equipment, Kyiv says
Ukrainian soldiers fire D-30 artillery in the direction of Toretsk in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, on Dec. 8, 2024. (Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Russian troops started using military equipment near the towns of Toretsk and Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Oblast, Anastasia Bobovnikova, a spokesperson of the Operational Tactical Group Luhansk, said on Dec. 24.

Speaking on national television, Bobovnikova said that fighting with the use of armored combat vehicles, motorcycles and buggies took place in the village of Nelipivka south of Toretsk.

"We didn't see this before, but now the enemy has become more active," she said.

Toretsk and Chasiv Yar have become one of the hottest spots in Donetsk Oblast in recent months as Russian troops continue advancing in Ukraine's east.

Article image
The estimated advance of Russian forces in Donetsk Oblast as of Dec. 23, 2024, according to DeepState. (DeepState/OpenStreetMaps)

The spokesperson described the situation in Toretsk as "the most difficult."

"The fighting is for every house. And you need to understand that somewhere they (Russia) can advance by one house, and literally the next day we are already taking back this house," Bobovnikova said.

According to the spokesperson, it is difficult to use tanks and armored combat vehicles in both Toretsk and Chasiv Yar because they are "not so effective in urban areas" and difficult to maneuver.

Throughout 2024, Ukraine has faced a challenging situation in its defense of the front line. Apart from Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine expects Russian forces to launch larger-scale attacks in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.

Avatar
Kateryna Denisova

Politics Reporter

Kateryna Denisova is the reporter for the Kyiv Independent, specializing in Ukrainian politics. Based in Kyiv, she focuses on domestic affairs, parliament, social and war-related issues. Kateryna began her career in journalism in 2020 and has since worked with several leading Ukrainian media outlets. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and has studied at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.

Read more
News Feed
 (Updated:  )

The grounding was the first nationwide flight stoppage since January 2023, when an FAA computer system malfunctioned. Before that, the last nationwide grounding followed the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

 (Updated:  )

Local authorities later on Nov. 13 reported that a rescue worker from the Cobra emergency service was killed when a concrete slab fell on him while he was clearing debris from a building damaged in the Russian attack.

 (Updated:  )

Duka is a suspect in a sweeping investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) into scam call centers. The probe led to the ouster of Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, who fled Ukraine in September, and implicated senior officials in his office.

Show More