Russian troops fail to raise flag over Toretsk as Ukraine strikes back
Russian war9 February 2025, 05:56 PM
According to Ukrainian troops, at 6 a.m. on Feb. 9, a Russian soldier climbed a mining tower in Toretsk to raise the Russian flag.
"The Predators attacked him with a drop strike, and our artillery (from the 28th Mechanized Brigade) finished the job. As a result, they didn't even manage to unfurl the rag," the brigade said.
Meanwhile, another Russian group tried to "sneak the tricolor into the city" by tossing it onto a building. However, a bomber from the Predator Brigade quickly took it down using a grenade launcher.
The situation in Toretsk
On Jan. 28, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported that Russian occupation forces had advanced in the Kurakhove and Toretsk directions, as well as in central Chasiv Yar. Ukrainian troops managed to push Russian forces back in part of Toretsk.
By Jan. 30, Yevhen Alkhimov, press officer for Ukraine’s 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade, Knights of the Winter Campaign, said that the front line no longer exists in the urban areas of Toretsk, as Russian troops continue massing personnel and launching assault waves in the city.
On Feb. 7, DeepState analysts refuted claims that Russia had fully occupied Toretsk, confirming that fighting is ongoing and that Ukrainian forces continue to resist. They reported that battles were concentrated in the Zabalka district and on the northern and western outskirts, while Russian forces control nearly the entire city center.
Nazar Voloshyn, spokesman for Ukraine’s Khortytsia Operational-Strategic Group, confirmed that Russian forces are conducting daily assault operations in Toretsk.
"The enemy's main efforts are focused on the Toretsk Mine (north), the Central Mine (south), and the area near School No. 5," Voloshyn said. "They are mining logistical routes—even their own rear positions. Where they can't mine, they create obstacles using controlled demolitions or debris to slow movement."
On Feb. 8, DeepState reported that Russian forces had made further advances in Toretsk.