Urban battles rage in Chasiv Yar, Toretsk, Ukrainian military says

Urban combat is ongoing in Chasiv Yar and Toretsk as Russian forces have recently advanced near Kreminna, Siversk, Toretsk, and Kurakhove, according to Ukrainian military officials and the ISW's independent assessments from 28-29 December 2024. RBC-Ukraine reports that intense urban combat is ongoing in Chasiv Yar and Toretsk, according to Viktor Trehubov, spokesperson for Ukraine's Khortytsia Operational Strategic Grouping of Forces, who spoke during a national telethon.

"Active urban combat is ongoing in both locations," Trehubov said.

In Chasiv Yar, the main fighting is taking place along the Siversky Donets-Donbas canal, which cuts through the city.

"One of the enemy's objectives remains the refractory materials plant in the city. However, enemy attacks there have been unsuccessful," Trehubov stated.

The situation in Toretsk remains fluid with clashes occurring in urban areas.

"It's difficult to say anything definitive about the situation there because constant combat operations are ongoing from both sides," he added.

The US-based think tank Institute for the Study of War confirms the intense combat in both cities. According to ISW's 28 December assessment, Russian forces continued offensive operations in the Chasiv Yar direction but did not make confirmed advances. In Toretsk, both Ukrainian and Russian forces have made recent advances amid ongoing fighting. ISW reports that geolocated footage from 27 December shows Ukrainian forces recently retook positions in central and northern Toretsk, while Russian forces advanced along Rudnichna Street in western Toretsk.

ISW also reported that Russian forces recently advanced northwest of Kreminna amid continued offensive operations along the Kupiansk-Svatove-Kreminna line near the administrative border of Luhansk and Kharkiv oblasts. In Donetsk Oblast, southeast of Siversk, geolocated footage published on 28 December indicates Russian forces made marginal advances south of Vyimka in early to mid-December 2024 during a reduced platoon-sized mechanized assault, ISW says. Russian forces also advanced to the eastern outskirts of the Kurakhivske Thermal Power Plant west of Kurakhove, as evidenced by geolocated footage from 28 December. Related:

• Russians have not captured Kurakhove, Deep State analysts challenge ISW
• ISW: Russian forces likely capture Kurakhove after two-month offensive
• Russia intensifies assault on critical cross-oblast supply hub in Donetsk Oblast
• ISW: Russians may delay Pokrovsk envelopment for Donetsk Oblast border push
• Ukraine conducting “stabilization measures” near Donetsk’s Velyka Novosilka to prevent Makarivka encirclement
• ISW: Ukraine regains positions in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Russians advance in eastern Ukraine and Kursk Oblast