Battle of Toretsk

Battle of Toretsk
Part of the eastern Ukraine campaign of the Russian invasion of Ukraine
A building in Toretsk after Russian shelling in July 2024
Date 18 June 2024 – present (3 months, 3 weeks and 4 days) Location Toretsk, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine Surrounding satellite settlements Status Ongoing
Belligerents
Russia	Ukraine
Units involved
Russian Armed Forces Russian Ground Forces Central Military District 2nd Guards Combined Arms Army Southern Military District 8th Guards Combined Arms Army 51st Combined Arms Army	Armed Forces of Ukraine Ukrainian Ground Forces Special Operations Forces 8th Separate Regiment National Guard of Ukraine 35th Regiment
Casualties and losses
See § Casualty claims

The battle of Toretsk is an ongoing engagement in the Russian invasion of Ukraine between the Russian Armed Forces and the Armed Forces of Ukraine for control of the city of Toretsk and the satellite settlements east of it, Pivdenne, Zalizne, Druzhba, Pivnichne, and Shumy, and the settlement south of it, Niu-York, beginning on 18 June 2024. The effort to control the city is part of a renewed effort to capture portions of Donetsk Oblast and, according to a Ukrainian military spokesman, an attempt to flank the highly contested city of Chasiv Yar from the south.

Battle

First attacks and capture of Shumy (18 June – 1 July)

The first offensive engagements in the direction of Toretsk by the Russian Armed Forces began on 18 June 2024, when the settlements of Pivdenne, Pivnichne, and Niu-York saw the first assaults in recent months. Ukrainian officials the same day reported a "sudden increase" in Russian attacks in the main city's direction. DeepStateMap.Live showed on 18 June a Russian advance in the general direction of Druzhba and Pivnichne.

Russian milbloggers first claimed advances of Russian forces in the Toretsk direction on 19 June, including an advance into Pivnichne, although these claims were not corroborated by western sources. Russia continued to assault the settlements coming under fire the previous day, and in addition the localities of Zalizne, Druzhba, and Shumy.

On 20 and 21 June, Russian forces continued assaults on cities surrounding Toretsk, and Russian sources claimed an advance up to southern Niu-York. Nazar Voloshyn, a Ukrainian Armed Forces spokesperson, on 21 June analyzed that the new Russian offensive was likely an attempt to "develop an offensive" on the contested city of Chasiv Yar from the south.

DeepStateMap.Live showed and a Ukrainian source reported on 21 June that Russian forces had captured Shumy, and Russian milbloggers continued to claim advances in Pivnichne, as well as in Pivdenne and Druzhba on 22 June. On 23 June, the claims of Russian advances in Pivnichne, in addition to the seizure of Shumy, were confirmed by a Ukrainian military observer.

Russian forces advanced near Druzhba on 24 June, and continued attacks in Pivnichne, Pivdenne, and Niu-York. Russian sources claimed on 26 June further advances in Pivnichne and Druzhba, and an advance in the direction of southern Niu-York. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) on 27 June analyzed that advancing in Toretsk was not currently a major priority for Russia, as they had not committed many forces to the operation so far, and assessed that major Russian gains in the area would not be likely to come quickly. Russian sources claimed on 27 June that Russia had reached outer Zalizne and entered Niu-York, although the latter claim would not be confirmed by non-Russian sources until early July. Toretsk was claimed by a Russian source to be 1.5 kilometers from the frontline due to recent Russian advances, but this was refuted by the ISW who assessed on 28 June that Russian forces were around three kilometers from Toretsk.

On 29 June, Russia made slight gains in Druzhba, and Russian sources claimed advances near Pivnichne, Pivdenne, and Zalizne. The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed on 30 June that their forces had advanced through Pivnichne by making a surprise attack on Ukrainian positions by bypassing land through an underground tunnel. A Ukrainian military observer stated that the Russian advance in the Toretsk direction on 30 June was 2.6 kilometers, and noted that the advances in Pivdenne by Russia had encountered "little resistance".

Entrance into Niu-York and further advances (2 July – 21 August)

DeepStateMap.Live showed on 2 July that Russian forces advanced around four kilometers towards Niu-York, the first confirmed advance near the settlement, and in the process occupied parts of the village of Yurivka. A Russian and Ukrainian source both reported similar advances. Russian forces on 3 July and the days prior advanced significantly in the Toretsk direction from the east, reaching and contesting eastern Pivnichne and Druzhba.

Toretsk itself first came under Russian pressure on 5 July through additional Russian advances in Pivnichne and Druzhba, but is not yet contested and has not been entered by Russian forces.

By 12 July, Russian forces had further advanced in Niu-York and were contesting the central portion of the settlement. A Ukrainian spokesperson stated a Russian decrease in prioritization of the battle of Chasiv Yar, and that more effort was being given to advance towards Toretsk. Russia continued to attempt to advance towards Toretsk from both Niu-York in the south and the collection of villages in the east on 12 July. The ISW reported that central Zalizne had been reached by Russian forces on 13 July, and Russian sources claimed further advances near Pivnichne.

On 17 July, Ukrainian forces recaptured territory southeast of Niu-York along a windbreak. The same day, Russian sources claimed further advances in southern Niu-York, and confirmed Russian advances were made on 18 July in the eastern portion of the settlement. Russian sources claimed advances in Druzhba, Pivnichne, and Zalizne as well. On 19 July, Russia made further confirmed advances in eastern Druzhba, particularly along Petra Velykoho Street, and Pivnichne. Advances were claimed by Russian sources in Zalizne and southwestern Niu-York as well. On 22 July, further advances were made in Niu-York by Russian forces, with them seizing most of southwestern Niu-York and advancing up to Yesenina Street.

From 23–29 July, fighting continued in Druzhba, Niu-York, Pivdenne, Pivnichne, and Zalizne, and Russian forces made marginal advances east of Toretsk and in Niu-York. By 29 July, Russian forces had captured the eastern portion of Zalizne, and on 30 July the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that their forces had seized the entirety of Pivdenne, 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) from Toretsk. Russian sources also claimed fighting occurring within Toretsk itself, although this was not confirmed by non-Russian sources. Russian forces have continued to shell and strike Toretsk, in part with guided glide bombs.

Russian forces continued to make marginal advances in the settlements surrounding Toretsk in early August. On 5 August, Russian forces signaled that they had seized most of northwestern Niu-York, however some sources claimed that Ukrainian forces recaptured this territory the following day. Russian sources also claimed that the entirety of Niu York had been seized by Russia, but this was not confirmed by non-Russian sources. Russian forces also made advances west of Niu York and in southwestern Zalizne in early August.

On 11 August, Russian forces captured the last parts of the line of defense dating to the war in Donbas, and with it the last Ukrainian-held territory adjacent to the territory in the Donbas held by Russian proxies prior to the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine; this territory was east to Niu-York, and allowed their forces to expand their control to 65% of the town. The same day, DeepStateMap.Live showed that Russia had captured the last parts of Pivdenne in the process of capturing the 2014 line of defense, and had advanced up to the eastern outskirts of Toretsk in Pivnichne.

On 18 August, DeepStateMap.Live showed that Russia had advanced to occupy almost all of Niu-York, and had advanced north into the village of Nelipivka. Russian sources further claimed a complete capture of Niu-York, the seizure of a waste heap in Zalizne, and an advance into eastern Toretsk.

Start of fighting within Toretsk (22 August – present)

On 22 August, 2024, Russian forces reportedly made their first advance into Toretsk itself, advancing from Pivnichne into the eastern portion of the city. On 23 August, Russian forces, on another axis advancing from Zalizne, gained a foothold in southern Toretsk. Russian sources claimed that the Russian advance within Toretsk was along a front of a depth of 800 meters and a width of 750 meters. Russia continued to make marginal gains in eastern Toretsk in late August, while making continual advances in western Pivnichne in the area east of Toretsk.

By 6 September, 2024, the situation in Niu-York had improved for Ukraine after the Azov Brigade managed to break out encircled Ukrainian troops and recapture part of Niu-York. Russian troops however continued advancing within the town, and managed to fully capture it by late September. By 20 September, Russian forces made further advances up to central Toretsk. On 21 September advances were made north from Niu-York into central Leonidivka, southwest of Toretsk.

Fighting continued through late September and early October, with Russian forces gradually advancing within Toretsk. Around 8 October, further advances within southern Toretsk, along Peremohy and Konstytutsyi streets, and in eastern Toretsk, were made. By 11 October, Russian forces had seized about half of Toretsk, as stated by the city's administrative head, and were trying to "quickly capture" the city. Around 1,150 people reportedly remained in Toretsk.

Casualty claims

Military casualties

On 15 July, Nazar Voloshyn, a spokesman for the Ukrainian military's Khortytsia group claimed that Russian casualties over the previous week in the "Toretsk sector" amounted to 635 personnel killed, 855 wounded, and 12 prisoners of war. On the morning of 16 July, Voloshyn claimed that Russia had lost 224 more personnel – with 72 killed, 147 wounded, and five POWs. The Ukrainian 425th Battalion reportedly captured 16 Russian troops sometime in August.

Civilian casualties

On 31 July 2024, Vasyl Chynchyk, the head of the Toretsk city military administration, claimed that 184 residents have been killed and 559 injured in the "Toretsk city territorial community" since the start of the invasion, though he did not specify how many had been lost since the Russians had directly attacked the city. He also said that 70% of Toretsk had been destroyed so far.

Analysis

The Institute for the Study of War has repeatedly analyzed and predicted that Russian forces will not be able to make substantial gains in the direction of Toretsk, both due to a lack of committed forces to the offensive and the wide area of responsibility of the Central Military District, stretching from offensive maneuvers southwest of Donetsk to Toretsk, which they claim causes a lack of rapid offensive gains in any of the covered areas.

Dmytro Snehiryov, a military analyst, said that a Russian capture of Toretsk would be of strategic value as the city is an "important logistics center" and stands at an elevated position, and that with the offensive Russia is continuing to attempt to spread out the concentration of Ukrainian forces to make further advances. Ukrainian spokesperson Nazar Voloshyn has said that a Russian victory in Toretsk will allow for further attacks to the south of Chasiv Yar and an advance to flank it from the south.