“Strategic ‘Toretsk’ in Russian Hands… Ukraine Faces Supply Line Crisis”

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Russia announced today, Friday, that it has taken control of the strategic town of Toretsk in eastern Ukraine, marking one of Moscow’s most significant advances in recent months.

The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that its forces had seized the industrial town located in the eastern Donetsk region after months of fierce battles.

By capturing Toretsk, Russian forces are now in a position to disrupt Ukraine’s vital supply routes.

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In a statement, the Russian Defense Ministry said: “As a result of active offensive operations, the city of Dzerzhinsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic has been liberated,” using the Russian name for the city and region.

Before Russia’s military intervention in 2022, the town, which was once home to many coal mines, had a population of approximately 30,000. However, by last July, that number had dropped by 90% due to ongoing fighting, according to the local administration.

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Before Russia’s official announcement on Friday, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had already stated that the city had become “a ruin” and posted an image of destroyed buildings on the social media platform X.

The ministry added: “This was once someone’s home, a place where people lived, laughed, and built their future. Now, only ruins remain,” without confirming whether the city had fallen under Russian control.

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The Russian advance in eastern Ukraine continues as officials in Kyiv express readiness to engage in direct negotiations with Moscow, especially following the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump in January.

Trump is pushing for a resolution to the war that has been ongoing since 2022, amid Western concerns that he may pressure Kyiv to cede some of its territory.

On Friday, Andriy Yermak, Chief of Staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, stated that he had discussed the latest developments in the war and the scheduling of upcoming meetings with Keith Kellogg, Trump’s envoy for Ukraine and Russia.

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According to Reuters, Yermak specified that the discussions included Kellogg’s visit to Kyiv, the protection of Ukrainian civilians, and meetings scheduled later this month at the Munich Security Conference.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States stated that Kellogg had a “thorough discussion” with her in their first official meeting on Thursday.

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On Facebook, Ambassador Oksana Markarova noted that this was her first formal meeting with Kellogg since his appointment, although they had met previously.

Ukraine is working to build strong ties with the new Trump administration, which has expressed a desire to bring a swift end to the nearly three-year-long war with Russia.

However, Trump has yet to provide substantial details on how he intends to achieve a resolution to the war in Ukraine.

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