Russian forces have reportedly entered the outskirts of Toretsk, a frontline town in the eastern Donetsk region of Ukraine. According to Anastasiia Bobovnikova, a spokeswoman for Ukraine’s military, fighting is currently taking place at every entrance of the town. Toretsk, with a pre-war population of around 30,000 people, is an important Ukrainian stronghold that is heavily fortified.
The fall of Toretsk could potentially open up a path for Russian forces to advance northward towards Chasiv Yar, another Ukrainian stronghold in Donetsk. It would also allow them to threaten key supply lines to the frontlines, including the strategically vital Pokrovsk-Kostyantynivka road.
Russia’s defense ministry has not provided much comment on these recent developments in and around Toretsk. Just days ago, Vuhledar, located about 75 miles southwest of Toretsk, fell to rapidly advancing Russian forces. The Ukrainian military confirmed their withdrawal from Vuhledar on October 3rd in order to preserve personnel and equipment.
Denis Pushilin, head of the Moscow-recognized Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), stated that tensions remain high in Vuhledar as enemy shelling attacks continue. Russian forces have been steadily advancing westward along Donetsk’s frontline over the past two months and have captured several strategic positions from retreating Ukrainian troops.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine earlier this year, gaining full control over the Donbas region has been a significant objective for them. Currently, it is estimated that Russian forces hold approximately 60 percent of Donetsk and 98.5 percent of Luhansk.
Russian forces now appear poised to capture Pokrovsk—a crucial transit hub located about 30 miles southwest of Toretsk—where roughly 80 percent of its critical energy infrastructure has been disabled or destroyed by repeated Russian assaults.
Ukrainian officials have expressed concern over being left without power or essential resources due to these attacks. President Volodymyr Zelensky described the situation in Donbas as “very difficult” and emphasized the need for achieving goals this autumn during a meeting with top military commanders on September 30th.