Russian forces are withdrawing from Toretsk, a strategic mining town in eastern Ukraine, just one month after claiming full control. The town’s elevated position and its role in securing supply routes made it a key battleground in Russia’s attempts to push deeper into Donetsk Oblast. However, Ukrainian counteroffensives have reversed Moscow’s gains, forcing Russian troops to retreat.
The 12th Azov Brigade, alongside military police and territorial defence units, has led the counterattack, successfully pushing Russia’s 2nd Combined Arms Army out of much of the town. Reports from Ukraine’s Center for Defence Strategies confirm that Ukrainian troops have gained ground on Druzhby Street in the town centre and on Budivelnykiv Street in the south.
Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s intelligence directorate, pointed to signs of Russian exhaustion, noting that Moscow has lost more than half a million troops and 15,000 vehicles since its full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Despite inflicting heavy losses on Ukrainian forces—estimated at 300,000 troops—Russia’s battlefield position is weakening. Ukrainian forces have capitalised on their technological superiority, particularly in drone warfare, to maintain the upper hand.
One of Ukraine’s key advantages is the deployment of the new Seth drone by the 12th Azov Brigade. This advanced loitering munition autonomously flies in wide circles over the battlefield, scanning for Russian vehicles before automatically homing in on targets with its 10 pound warhead. Unlike conventional drones that require constant operator input, the Seth drone is equipped with a multi channel GPS receiver that is resistant to jamming, making it much harder for Russian forces to counter. Forbes war correspondent David Axe reports that the drone can beam video back to its operators but may not need to, as it operates with a high level of autonomy.
Russian troops in Toretsk have been forced to change tactics to avoid being targeted by Ukrainian drones. Reports indicate that they have abandoned slower moving armoured vehicles in favour of motorcycles, which they believe provide a better chance of evading detection and destruction.
The fighting in Toretsk has been relentless, with eight months of urban warfare levelling entire high rise buildings. The town, which had a pre war population of around 30,000, has become another symbol of Russia’s brutal but ultimately faltering attempts to gain territory in Ukraine. While similar Russian retreats are being observed in areas such as Pokrovsk, some Ukrainian units in Kursk Oblast are facing their own difficulties, struggling with supply shortages and Russian drone attacks.
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