Russian troops aim for the full occupation of the city of Toretsk to achieve several goals simultaneously.
This was reported by Ivan Tymochko, head of the Council of Reserves of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on the air of the "Suspilne" TV channel.
According to him, the invaders intend to push back the Ukrainian military forces from the Yasinuvata highway and ensure the protection of military garrisons in the Horlivka area from long-range artillery: "The main goal of the Russians in the offensive on Toretsk is to push the front line away from the suburbs of Donetsk. This especially concerns the industrial zones they use for logistics, as warehouses, places for dispersal and concentration of their troops, and for the planned strike on Chasiv Yar."
He also noted that the battles for Toretsk allow Ukrainian forces to hold back Russian troops and deliver artillery strikes on their concentrations from the Donetsk direction. At the same time, the battles are taking place within the city limits, which makes defending the city much more difficult.
"This significantly affects troop management. The side that can interact more with its units, especially on the frontline, can maintain the initiative in certain areas," Tymochko added.
In his opinion, it is fundamentally important for the Russian invaders to capture the city to try to move towards Chasiv Yar or advance in the direction of Druzhkivka and Kostyantynivka, which would allow them to reach Kramatorsk and Slovyansk. This indicates that their entire strategy is aimed at the complete occupation of the Donetsk region, regardless of the direction from which they start the offensive.