The Ukrainian military said on Aug. 20 that clashes are ongoing at the village of Niu-York in Donetsk Oblast as multiple sources point to a rapid Russian advance deep into the settlement.
Niu-York lies just south of Toretsk, a key front-line town that has become one of the focal points of the Russian offensive in Donetsk Oblast.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said on Aug. 19 that according to Russian pro-war bloggers, Moscow's troops have effectively seized the settlement and are clearing its northern areas while pushing to Nelipivka further north.
Russian sources provided no visual confirmation of the claim, the ISW stressed.
The Ukrainian crowd-sourced tracking site DeepState provided a similar estimate, claiming that almost the entire settlement is in Russian hands except for the outskirts in the west, north, and northeast.
The Ukrainian military did not comment on the claims and instead said that heavy fighting is ongoing in the Toretsk sector, including in Niu-York.
Russian forces attempted 24 ground attacks in the area of Niu-York, Nelipivka, Zalizne, Pivnichne, and near Toretsk over the past day, the Khorytsia group of forces said on Telegram.
Nazar Voloshyn, the spokesperson for the Khortytsia group, did not provide further details following the Kyiv Independent's request for comment.
Ukrainska Pravda said that according to its military sources, Ukrainian troops continue to hold out in the northern part of the settlement.
"Our people are in Niu-York, we are holding the defenses. We control approximately 20% of the village," a source in the 53rd Separate Mechanized Brigade deployed in the area told Ukrainska Pravda.
"Russian forces are advancing at the expense of a large number of reserves... Unfortunately, we have no such reserves."
Another source told the outlet that as Russian forces took much of Niu-York, they are on their way to Nelipivka, the last village directly between Niu-York and Toretsk.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify all the claims.
Russian sources claimed the full capture of Niu-York already back on Aug. 6, but Ukrainian officials denied this at the time.
Emmanuelle Chaze
