Russian assault operations near the eastern Ukrainian city of Toretsk in Donetsk Oblast have increased by 30% compared to December 2024, while attacks in the Chasiv Yar area have nearly doubled, a Ukrainian military spokesman reported on 3 February.
According to Ukrinform, that Dmytro Zaporozhets, spokesman for the Luhansk Operational-Tactical Grouping of forces, said on Ukrainian TV that artillery strikes near Chasiv Yar have intensified significantly.
“While the previous week saw over 150 strikes, last week it reached over 200, and the number of assault operations increased by 97% compared to December 2024,” he said.
According to Zaporozhets, while the Russians actively used armored vehicles in early January, their usage has decreased since last week. Following the destruction of most enemy armor, the occupiers have switched to light vehicles for logistics operations.
“It’s not always possible to destroy such equipment because of smaller dimensions and higher speed. This includes quadbikes, motorcycles, and other vehicles. Destruction is complicated by weather conditions, including warm winter temperatures, high humidity, and fog,” Zaporozhets explained.
The spokesman also reported that Russians are forcing civilians in Toretsk to collect bodies of killed Russian servicemen.
“They are forcing civilians to participate in evacuation measures and collect occupiers’ bodies for relocation to certain locations,” he said.
According to the latest information from Toretsk’s military administration, 58 people currently remain in the city.
ISW reported on 2 February that Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Toretsk, and Russian forces recently advanced near Lyman, Siversk, Chasiv Yar, Pokrovsk, and Velyka Novosilka.
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- ISW: Ukraine recaptures Toretsk positions amid Russian advances nearby
- ISW: Russian forces advance near Donetsk’s Toretsk, Pokrovsk, Kurakhove, and Velyka Novosilka
- Russian troops advance in Toretsk, three other settlements in Donetsk Oblast – DeepState