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'No intact buildings left' in Toretsk, accelerating Russian advance, military says

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'No intact buildings left' in Toretsk, accelerating Russian advance, military says
In this aerial drone image, damage to the city and its buildings can be seen after heavy artillery and guided bomb attacks by Russia on July 24, 2024, in Toretsk, Ukraine. (Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images)

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.

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The estimated advance of Russian forces in Toretsk as of Oct. 14, 2024, according to DeepState. (DeepState/OpenStreetMaps)

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.

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Kateryna Denisova

News Editor

Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.

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