Russia overwhelmingly attacks Donbass, Ukraine flees from strategic stronghold

Russian soldiers fire towards Ukraine on the front line (Photo: Sputnik).

"The enemy's situation in Toresk is quite critical. They are forced to retreat. Currently, some of their units have left the city," the Russian news agency Tass quoted a source in the Russian security forces as saying on October 13.

Security sources added that the Ukrainian army is acting similarly to previous occasions by withdrawing in small groups from the city of Toretsk.

In a speech on the evening of October 12, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged that in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia, areas partially controlled by Russian forces, Kyiv's forces are facing very difficult conditions due to intense Russian attacks.

"The resilience of our units is crucial. Everything depends on our resilience," Zelensky emphasized.

The Russian Defense Ministry announced on October 11th that it had gained control of Ostrivske, a village on a reservoir near the town of Kurakhove. This area was a key target for Russia in its offensive in Donetsk.

Ukraine has not acknowledged the loss of the village, but military bloggers have confirmed Russian advances in the area.

In a report released late on October 11, the General Staff of the Ukrainian army recorded 47 clashes in the area surrounding Kurakhove and another 27 in the Pokrovsk region to the northwest.

Locations of regions in eastern Ukraine (Photo: BBC).

Further northeast, in Toretsk, where both Ukrainian and Russian forces claim to be partially under Russian control, the Ukrainian General Staff said Russian forces had launched 14 attacks, supported by airstrikes.

The city of Toretsk, located in the heart of Donetsk, has become one of the main points of conflict between Russian and Ukrainian forces in recent weeks.

Vasyl Chynchyk, head of the military administration of Toresk city, announced on October 11 that approximately 40-50% of Toresk city is under the control of Ukrainian armed forces, while the remaining territory is under Russian control.

Fighting in Toretsk, a Ukrainian stronghold, has been ongoing since 2014 after conflict erupted between government forces and separatists in Donbass.

For most of the first two years after Russia launched its military campaign in Ukraine in early 2022, the city was not targeted until June of this year, when Russia intensified its offensive.

Military analysts say that capturing the Toresk hilltop would allow Russian forces to further complicate the logistical supply lines for Ukrainian forces on much of the eastern front.

Military experts say that controlling Toretsk opens up important strategic directions for the Russian army to continue its offensive. The city is located near the front line and serves as an important supply center for Ukrainian forces. Control of the city could create favorable conditions for encircling Ukrainian units stationed in the area.

Earlier this month, Ukraine lost Vuhledar, another mining town located 80km southwest of Toretsk. Moscow accelerated its offensive on Toretsk after capturing Vuhledar, advancing further into the central Donetsk region.

Besides Toretsk, the current hottest spots of the war are the Pokrovsk and Kurakhove regions to the west and southwest of Toretsk. However, there are signs that Russia may launch a new offensive elsewhere to further stretch the Ukrainian army.

There is growing concern about the possibility of Ukraine's front lines collapsing as Russia continues its advance toward the strategic city of Pokrovsk, where Moscow could achieve a westward breakthrough and consolidate its efforts to control the entire Donetsk region.

For Moscow, capturing Toresk would bring it closer to its goal of controlling all of Donbass. To date, Russia has almost complete control of Lugansk, part of Donbass, and is accelerating its advance towards Donetsk.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/nga-tien-cong-ap-dao-donbass-ukraine-rut-chay-khoi-thanh-tri-chien-luoc-20241013143145153.htm