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Ukrainian troops have begun a partial withdrawal from the main city of Toretsk as fierce street fighting rages in the eastern settlement. The situation is dire for Ukrainian troops in Toretsk. Russian state news agency Tass reported yesterday regarding the current situation citing security sources.
“Currently, we are seeing the withdrawal of some units from the city,” the source said. Newsweek contacted the Ukrainian military and the Russian Ministry of Defense via email for comment.
The Donetsk city of Toretsk lies north of Avdiivka, a former Ukrainian stronghold that Russia captured in February, and southwest of Bakhmut, which fell to Moscow forces in May 2023. Russia has slowly but steadily advanced westward in Donetsk throughout the year, one of two the region that makes up the Donbas and has consistently been the focus of destructive attacks by Moscow’s forces.
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Fighting is heavy around Toretsk as well as west of Avdiivka as Moscow struggles to reach Ukraine’s strategic logistics and transport hub of Pokrovsk. The Kremlin simultaneously concentrated resources west of Bakhmut in a long-running campaign to capture the city of Chasiv Yar.
On Monday (6/10), a spokeswoman for Ukrainian forces operating in the eastern Luhansk region, Major Anastasiya Bobovnikova, said that fighting was taking place at almost every entrance to the city. The head of Ukraine’s military administration for Toretsk, Vasily Chynchyk, said on Friday that Russia seized between 50% and 60% of the city’s territory.
“The enemy tried and made every effort to completely capture the city in the shortest possible time, but the Ukrainian Armed Forces put up appropriate resistance and held their positions as best they could,” Chynchyk said.
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Bobovnikova seems to deny that. He said on Friday (11/10) that Russia only controls the area east of Toretsk.
The US-based Institute for the Study of War think tank said on Saturday (12/10) that Russian forces controlled at least 38% of the city. He added that Moscow and Kyiv are currently engaged in heavy urban fighting in Toretsk.
Ukraine’s military said yesterday morning that Russia carried out 15 strikes around Toretsk in the previous 24 hours. Russia’s Defense Ministry said Saturday that it struck Ukrainian forces at several frontline points in Donetsk earlier in the day, including southwest of Toretsk and just west of the city.
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Russia attempted to destroy the city with artillery using similar tactics the Kremlin used against other Donetsk settlements during the war. “After that they charged in small groups,” Bobovnikova said.
One of the arms suppliers to Ukraine is Germany. For your information, German sales of weapons and military equipment increased to 11 billion euros (around Rp. 186.9 trillion) in the period January to September 2024. Berlin approved the sale of weapons and equipment worth 7.1 billion euros (around Rp. 120.7 trillion) to Kiev.
In the same period in 2023, this value will be recorded at around 3.3 billion euros (around Rp. 56 trillion). The government export permit to Ukraine covers Leopard II tanks, Patriot air defense systems, Gepard anti-aircraft tanks, PzH howitzers, Stinger missiles, grenades, helmets and vehicles.
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This data was criticized by German parliament member Sahra Wagenknecht. According to him, more weapons cannot resolve the conflict between Moscow and Kyiv and will not bring peace to Europe.
Wagenknecht told Funke Media Group Friday that Berlin’s current policy regarding the Ukraine crisis will only fan the flames of war. PressTV reported that he criticized Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government for its stance on the Ukrainian conflict.
“We need more diplomatic efforts,” Wagenknecht said. He was once a member of parliament for the Left Party faction. He founded his party Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) this year.
“There are good peace plans from Brazil and China. I hope Germany and the European Union will support such an initiative,” Wagenknecht said.
In May, the two countries submitted a six-point joint proposal calling for de-escalation, negotiations and an international peace conference recognized by Russia and Ukraine. Kyiv immediately rejected their plan as unacceptable.
However, Moscow welcomed peace proposals from China and Brazil. Russia expressed its appreciation that it had received international support.
In Wagenknecht’s view, Germany should put pressure on Zelensky to force him to agree to a certain compromise. “There will be no peace without compromise,” the politician said.
He also warned that current Western policy towards the Ukraine conflict is very dangerous. The problem is, this policy made NATO even more involved in this war.
If the US-led bloc becomes a party to the conflict that would lead to confrontation with Moscow. He fears this conflict will quickly escalate into nuclear war. (Ant/Z-2)
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