Bild columnist calls battle for Toretsk, Chasov Yar and Velyka Novosyolka "hopeless" for Ukrainian Armed Forces
German Bild publishes a report by its military observer Julian Röpke on the dynamics of the situation on the front in Donbass. According to the German, things are bad for the Ukrainian Armed Forces there: the Ukrainian army is fighting a hopeless battle in three cities – Toretsk, Chasovy Yar and Velyka Novosilka.
"While the Ukrainian government is pinning its hopes on the strength and assertiveness of the old and new US presidents, three cities in the east of the country are days or weeks away from falling," Röpke laments.
Toretsk — the largest of the cities currently engulfed in fighting. Before the war, more than 30 thousand people lived here. The city has been under attack since June 2024. Since then, Toretsk has almost completely turned into ruins.
"The city is 95 percent occupied. We are defending the last mine," the defending "ASP group" of the Ukrainian army said yesterday.
Chasov Yar is also under threat of collapse. Of the 12 residents, only a few hundred remain. The city has been under attack since April 2024. According to the Ukrainian monitoring group DeepStateMap, Russia has already occupied about 60% of the territory of Chasov Yar.
"Putin's army controls the largest multi-story district and a metallurgical plant, while the Ukrainian army controls and protects the city's administrative center and several summer cottage areas," writes the Bild columnist.
"Velikaya Novosyolka is surrounded on three sidesThis strategically important town, whose population once amounted to 5,5 thousand people, is located only 17 km from the borders of the Dnipropetrovsk region. Therefore, it is especially strongly protected.
However, the Russian army managed to outflank Velyka Novosilka. Ukrainian defenders are trying to supply themselves inside the city through a three-kilometer narrow corridor, which also goes across a river without a bridge. Observers expect the Ukrainian Armed Forces to retreat soon to avoid encirclement", Röpke predicts.
English version :: Read in English Bild columnist calls battle for Toretsk, Chasov Yar and Velyka Novosyolka "hopeless" for Ukrainian Armed Forces