Russia has announced the capture of Toretsk, a key town in eastern Ukraine, after months of fierce battles. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the town of Dzerzhynsk in the Donetsk region was liberated as part of an ongoing offensive.
Before the war, Toretsk had a population of 30,000, but by July 2024, this had dropped by 90% due to the conflict. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry described the town as a « ruin, » sharing images of destroyed buildings on social media.