Moscow, Feb 7 (EFE).- The Russian forces have captured the strategically vital city of Toretsk in eastern Ukraine, following months of fierce fighting, the defense ministry said on Friday,<\/p>
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that over 26,000 Ukrainian troops lost their lives in the five-month battle, marking a significant win for Moscow as it presses forward in the region.<\/p>
The ministry referred to the city by its Soviet-era name, Dzerzhinsk.<\/p>
The battle, which saw intense fighting over several months, resulted in Russia securing the city, which had a population of over 30,000 before the war.<\/p>
Ukrainian sources reported that Russia deployed around 10,000 troops in the offensive, which began in July 2024, although Russian forces did not enter the city until early September.<\/p>
According to the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW), only the dumps of three mines north of the city remained unoccupied by the time the Russians advanced, where Ukrainian defenders had built a complex underground network of tunnels.<\/p>
The fall of Toretsk opens the door for Russia to advance towards Kostiantinivka, a key Ukrainian stronghold with nearly 70,000 residents as of February 2022.<\/p>
“Control of this important defensive point paves the way for the liberation of Kostiantinivka and provides access to the enemy’s flank in Kramatorsk,” the defense ministry said.<\/p>
In a related development, the ministry reported the capture of the small Ukrainian town of Druzhba, located on the outskirts of Toretsk.<\/p>
With the fall of Toretsk, Russian forces are nearing complete control of southern Donetsk. <\/p>
To solidify their hold on the region, Moscow now aims to capture Kostiantinivka and Pokrovsk, where Russian troops are already positioned on the outskirts.<\/p>
However, Ukrainian strongholds further north, including Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, remain beyond Russia’s current reach. EFE<\/p>
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