ISW maps: the occupiers did not completely capture New York in Donetsk region

ISW maps: the occupiers did not completely capture New York in Donetsk region

Russian sources stated that Russian troops advanced further within New York and captured the settlement. However, analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) found no visual evidence of this.

This is stated in the ISW assessment of the Russian offensive operation as of August 6, 2024. It is noted that Russian occupation forces have recently made some progress near Toretsk amid ongoing offensive operations in the area on August 5.

Geo-location footage released on 5 August shows Russian troops recently advancing slightly towards Dostoevskyi Street in Pivnichne, east of Toretsk.

Additional geo-location footage released on 6 August shows elements of the Russian 9th Motorised Rifle Brigade (1st DPR SC) raising a flag over a building on Haharin Street in northwestern New York (south of Toretsk). This is an indication that Russian forces have recently advanced within the settlement. Russian sources have also claimed that the occupiers have captured New York, but ISW has not confirmed this.

Russian military bloggers claimed that troops had advanced in an area 1.6 kilometres wide and up to 800 metres deep in eastern Pivdenne, and had also made advances in the areas of Druzhba (east of Toretsk) and Zalizne (southeast of Toretsk).

Some Russian sources repeated claims of a possible encirclement of Ukrainian forces in eastern New York, but one Russian military blogger denied this, stating that Russian forces were advancing too slowly in the area to allow for an encirclement.

On 5 and 6 August, Russian troops also stormed near Panteleimonivka (south of Toretsk). Units of the Lavina battalion of the Russian 132nd motorised rifle brigade (1st SC ’DPR’) are reportedly operating near Horlivka (east of Toretsk).

It should also be noted that on 6 August in the evening, Russian propagandist Vladimir Solovyov posted a video on his Telegram channel showing the occupiers burning the Ukrainian flag and hanging the tricolour on a building, probably a school.

"New York is ours: the Russian flag is raised over the settlement," he said.

However, Lieutenant Andriy Kovalenko, head of the National Security and Defence Council’s Centre for Countering Disinformation, denied Russian claims that the village of New York in the Toretsk city community of Donetsk region had been completely seized. Kovalenko stressed that New York is not currently occupied by the occupiers.

"One of the main propagandists of the Russian Federation, Solovyov, is already lying about the complete capture of New York because the flag was hung on the school. Of course, New York has not been taken by the Russians as of now. Heavy fighting continues there," Kovalenko wrote.