In the north of Donetsk region, fighting has continued for control of Chasiv Yar and Toretsk. Russia has been attempting to gain control of the two towns, which serve as the gateway to the Donetsk cities of Kramatorsk and Kostyantynivka, since early 2024. Russian forces attempted assaults in Chasiv Yar and Toretsk with armoured vehicles in late December 2024 and early January 2025. It is likely that these attacks were repelled in Chasiv Yar, but in Toretsk russia has continued to advance, the UK Defense Intelligence reports.
Russian forces likely control at least 70 per cent of Toretsk, and have made grinding progres through the town, but urban fighting has inhibited rapid advancement. In Chasiv Yar, the Siverskyi Donets-Donbas canal serves as the current line of control.
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Advancing russian forces are frequently targeted by Ukrainian UAV operators as they approach the canal. Russian forces have been attempting to interdict Ukrainian logistics routes in and out of these towns.
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