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The town had the only coal mine in the Donetsk region that remained under Ukrainian control.
It continued operating despite its frontline location, providing an important resource for Ukraine.
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/fully-li...ne-6900226
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The Russians have captured Selydove, one of the towns previously buttressed Ukrainian defenses around fortress city of Pokrovs, accelerating Russian gains west of Donetsk city, 25 miles southeast of Pokrovsk, could result in Ukrainian forces pulling out of the town of Kurakhove, blowing up bridges over the nearby Vovcha River and regrouping behind the rubble.
But there’s one sector where Russians aren’t advancing. In city of Toretsk, 30 miles east of Pokrovsk, Ukrainian forces are the ones advancing—albeit not very quickly and not very far.
How Ukrainians managed to claw back a few blocks in Toretsk, a city with a pre-war population of 35,000, says a lot about battlefield conditions in Russia’s 32-month wider war on Ukraine. In short, it’s as much demolition as combat.
In early October, close observers of satellite imagery, drone feeds, videos posted online by front-line forces noticed something unusual happening in central Toretsk, where Ukrainian brigades & Russian regiments had been locked in brutal urban combat for weeks.
One of the open-source intelligence analysts noted a pattern of Ukrainian strikes on Russian positions in Toretsk’s central highrise district, the heart of the city.
Amid the strikes, there were signs of close combat—evidence. Ukrainians were following up their bombardment with infantry assaults. After the assaults, the bombardment died down, possibly indicating the Ukrainians had evicted local Russian forces.
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Continue above...Videos compiled by Ukrainian 101st Guard Brigade in early October seem to depict, initial phase of the counterattack.
Videos show drones striking Russians hiding in doorways, apartments & rooftops in highrise. One drone observed Russian infantry retreating after a failed local counterattack. Russians fortified at least one highrise, compelling Ukrainians to drop entire building with explosive charges.
By last week, elements of Russian 109th Motor Rifle Regiment were effectively trapped in highrise district. “I’m currently in the city center in a 9-story building.” A Russian officer reported in a video he posted on social media. “Constant gunfire, & here our lads can’t even reach the nearby houses.”
Officer said he’d been injured by falling concrete—further evidence of Ukrainians’ demolition strategy. Flattening a city to save it is, for the Ukrainians, a Pyrrhic victory. But if destroying Toretsk is the price of partially reversing the Russian advance along that axis, Ukrainians would gladly pay it. The alternative—another Ukrainian retreat—just allows Russians to advance into more towns and cities. (So with or that?.
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(30-10-2024, 02:57 PM)Tee tiong huat Wrote: Continue above...Videos compiled by Ukrainian 101st Guard Brigade in early October seem to depict, initial phase of the counterattack.
Videos show drones striking Russians hiding in doorways, apartments & rooftops in highrise. One drone observed Russian infantry retreating after a failed local counterattack. Russians fortified at least one highrise, compelling Ukrainians to drop entire building with explosive charges.
By last week, elements of Russian 109th Motor Rifle Regiment were effectively trapped in highrise district. “I’m currently in the city center in a 9-story building.” A Russian officer reported in a video he posted on social media. “Constant gunfire, & here our lads can’t even reach the nearby houses.”
Officer said he’d been injured by falling concrete—further evidence of Ukrainians’ demolition strategy. Flattening a city to save it is, for the Ukrainians, a Pyrrhic victory. But if destroying Toretsk is the price of partially reversing the Russian advance along that axis, Ukrainians would gladly pay it. The alternative—another Ukrainian retreat—just allows Russians to advance into more towns and cities. (So with or that?.
In Toretsk, Ukrainian Engineers Are Demolishing Entire Buildings Filled With Russian Troops
The strategy is brutal but effective: wreck the city in order to save it
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/20...an-troops/
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(30-10-2024, 03:03 PM)Tee tiong huat Wrote: In Toretsk, Ukrainian Engineers Are Demolishing Entire Buildings Filled With Russian Troops
The strategy is brutal but effective: wreck the city in order to save it
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/20...an-troops/
In Toretsk, Ukrainian Engineers Are Demolishing Entire Buildings Filled With Russian Troops
The strategy is brutal but effective: wreck the city in order to save it.
![](https://i.imgur.com/CLvY2jA.png")
