There are no intact buildings or shelters left in Toretsk in Donetsk Oblast, allowing Russia to occupy new areas of the embattled town, Anastasia Bobovnikova, a spokesperson of the Operational Tactical Group Luhansk, said on Oct. 14.
Toretsk lies some 35 kilometers (20 miles) north of occupied Donetsk. The town has become one of the hottest spots in Donetsk Oblast in recent months as Russian troops continue advancing in Ukraine's east.
"Now the town looks more like a desert planet: there are no shelters for civilians or soldiers, and unfortunately, this allows the enemy to occupy new areas, but on scorched earth," Bobovnikova said.
The crowdsourced monitoring website DeepState reported on Oct. 15 that Russian troops have advanced in Toretsk over the past day.
Speaking on national television, Bobovnikova said that Russian soldiers change their military uniforms for civilian clothes to move toward Ukrainian positions, a tactic they use in other embattled settlements as well.
According to local authorities, Kyiv controlled roughly 40-50% of the town as of Oct. 11 while the rest has been captured by Russia.
Previously, the Ukrainian military said that fights were taking place "at every building entrance" as Russian forces were pushing from the east along the main Tsentralna (Central) Street.
The loss of Toretsk would be another blow to Ukraine in Donetsk Oblast after its forces were forced to withdraw from Vuhledar in the south. Russian forces also continue pushing toward Kurakhove and Pokrovsk, a key logistics hub roughly 50 kilometers (30 miles) west of Toretsk.
Asami Terajima
