Russia Advance in Toretsk Leaves 'Total Devastation': Ukrainian Commander

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Russian forces in the embattled eastern Ukraine city of Toretsk are bringing about "total destruction" in the settlement, a Ukrainian commander has said.

Moscow "uses the tactic of total destruction of all residential and non-residential buildings," also known as "scorched-earth" warfare, the acting commander of Kyiv's "Tsunami" special operations unit fighting in Toretsk, who goes by the call sign Mansur, told Ukraine's Suspilne Donbas outlet.

Ukraine has previously accused Russia of employing "scorched-earth" tactics in battles in the east of the country. Newsweek has reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry for comment via email.

Why It Matters

Russia has been moving through Toretsk for many months, claiming more of the Donetsk city that has been a Ukrainian stronghold and the gateway to the logistics hub of Kostiantynivka, to the northwest of Toretsk.

Both sides are jostling for an advantage in possible ceasefire negotiations with just weeks until U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration. He repeatedly pledged on the campaign trail to end the war in a day, and officials in Kyiv—as well as in Europe—are watching with some trepidation to see whether a deal brokered by the Republican could come at Ukraine's expense.

What To Know

The acting Ukrainian commander said Russian forces operating in Toretsk are burning down all buildings in the city, taking out defensive positions and forcing Kyiv's fighters to "retreat to some nearest shelter, then return to the basement to hold the defense further."

Russia inflicts "great damage" with first person-view (FPV) and other types of strike drones as well as artillery fire, the commander said.

"The enemy is constantly carrying out assault operations, constantly working from different directions: from the north, from the south, from the east," Mansur said, adding that Russia was mainly attacking with all-terrain vehicles and motorbikes, rather than armored vehicles or tanks.

"The fighting is going on in the city itself, the front line runs somewhere in the center of the city," he said.

Popular Ukrainian war-tracking blog, Deep State, said on Saturday that the "situation in Toretsk is very tense and chaotic."

"Positions can literally be next to each other, and firefights can take place between the rooms of a house," the blog wrote, saying Russian forces were "actively advancing deep into the city, hiding among the rubble and houses, which makes it difficult to defeat them." The blog reported that Moscow was also targeting Shcherbynivka, a village immediately west of Toretsk.

The U.S.-based think tank, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said on Saturday that geolocated footage showed Russia had "marginally advanced" along a street in northwestern Toretsk, with fighting blazing on around the city.

Who People Are Sayinh

"Mansur," the acting commander of Ukraine's "Tsunami" special operations unit fighting in Toretsk: "The enemy uses the tactic of total destruction of all residential and non-residential buildings."

The Institute for the Study of War on Saturday: "Russian forces recently marginally advanced in Toretsk amid continued offensive operations in the area on January 4. Geolocated footage published on January 4 indicates that Russian forces recently marginally advanced along 1-Hirskyi Street in northwestern Toretsk."

Russia's Defense Ministry, in a post to messaging app Telegram on Sunday, said its fighters had attacked Ukrainian brigades along the front line close to Toretsk, including Shcherbinivka.

What Happens Next

Certainly for at least the next few weeks, the Kremlin will likely continue its slow but steady advance in eastern Ukraine, focused on Toretsk and the Ukrainian strategic city of Pokrovsk to the southwest.

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