Battles in Toretsk, Donetsk region, continue in urban areas – Khortytsia
Battles in Toretsk, Donetsk region, continue in urban areas. The Ukrainian Defense Forces are resisting the Russian aggressor, which is several times superior in numbers, spokesman for the Khortytsia Operational-Strategic Group of Forces Nazar Voloshyn told Interfax-Ukraine.
"Battles in Toretsk continue in urban areas. The enemy is conducting active assault operations, pressing in this direction with all its forces and means. The Ukrainian Defense Forces are resisting the Russian aggressor, which is several times superior in numbers, inflicting crushing losses on it in personnel and equipment," the spokesman said.
According to him, as of 16:00, the enemy has attacked eight times in Toretsk direction, and four battles are still ongoing.
Voloshyn said in Toretsk, the enemy is conducting active assault operations daily, ten assaults or more. "The enemy's main efforts are concentrated in the direction of Toretsk mine – north, the Central mine – south, and in the center in the direction of school No. 5. The enemy is mining logistics routes, even their own behind. And where there is no possibility of mining, they either create blockages by detonating explosions or throw improvised means to complicate movement," the Armed Forces of Ukraine said.
Voloshyn said the enemy's daily losses in Toretsk direction amount to 20 killed and 50-70 wounded.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine also said Ukrainian units of unmanned systems use more than 100 kamikaze drones in Toretsk alone. At the same time, the speaker said Russian commanders are driving even the wounded to storm the city, because evacuation is practically impossible – evacuation equipment immediately becomes target number one for both drones and other weapons." "The enemy is using all forces and means to defeat us ... both due to the fact that it has superior numbers and throws 'assault meat' into attacks with its soldiers (even disposable ones, who are sent one way to storm – if they reach a certain point, so that they can wait there and accumulate a certain number of personnel for the assault), and on the information front (uses the dissemination of its enemy IPSO)," Voloshyn said.
The Ukrainian analytical resource DeepState also writes that "information about the occupation of Toretsk by the enemy is not true – urban battles continue, and the Defense Forces continue to resist the enemy."
Earlier on Friday, the Russian Defense Ministry said that Russian forces allegedly captured the city of Toretsk in Donetsk region.