Russian Forces Capture New York Town, Opening a Path to Western Donbas
DONETSK, UKRAINE – August 24, 2024 – Russian forces have captured the strategically important town of Novhorodske, known by Ukrainian forces as New York Town, in the Donetsk region, according to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. The capture, announced on August 21, marks a significant advance for Russian troops in their ongoing offensive ineastern Ukraine.
The town, located approximately 70 kilometers north of Donetsk city, holds significant strategic value due to its commanding position overlooking the surrounding area. It has served as a key defensive stronghold for Ukrainian forces since 2014, allowing them to monitor and bombard the nearby city of Horlivka.
The capture of New York Town is of paramount strategic importance, stated a report by the Russian newspaper Viewpoint. This is one of theturning points of the entire conflict.
Russian military experts have highlighted the capture’s impact on the broader battle for Donbas. After the capture of New York Town, Ukrainian forces will lose the opportunity to strengthen their defenses in the entire southern direction of Donetsk, said Anatoly Matveichuk, a Russian militaryexpert, in a report by the Russian newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets.
The town’s strategic significance stems from its role as a shield for the city of Konstantynivka, a crucial logistical hub for Ukrainian forces in Donbas. Capturing Novhorodske opens up the possibility of Russian forceslaunching an offensive towards Konstantynivka, potentially disrupting Ukrainian supply lines and weakening their defenses.
The main significance of holding New York Town and Toretsk for the Ukrainian forces is that this position is a shield for Konstantynivka, which is an important logistical hub for the entire Ukrainian military cluster in Donetsk,a major supply and transit point, stated a report by the Russian newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets.
The capture also provides Russian forces with access to the railway line connecting Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, further enhancing their logistical capabilities and potentially facilitating a push towards the remaining Ukrainian-held territory in the Donetskregion.
The capture of New York Town will allow Russian forces to control the Kramatorsk-Sloviansk line, which will help in the future to completely capture the entire territory of Donetsk, stated the report by Moskovsky Komsomolets.
British military expert Alexander Merkulius echoed the sentiment, stating that the capture of Novhorodske demonstrates the inability of Ukrainian forces to hold the front line in the area. New York Town has fallen completely. Ukrainian troops were unable to build sufficient significant defensive fortifications, so the Russian army will continue to advance, he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged thedifficult situation in the Donetsk region, particularly in the Toretsk area. The situation in the Donetsk region, in the Toretsk direction, is very complicated, he stated.
Ukrainian MP Maryana Bezhugraya attributed the loss of Novhorodske to strategic errors by the Ukrainian command, leading to the withdrawalof Ukrainian troops from the Donetsk region. Due to the mistakes of the Ukrainian command, the Ukrainian army is withdrawing all its troops from the Donetsk region, she said. In this situation, Russian forces will soon control Toretsk.
The capture of Novhorodske marks a significant setback for Ukrainian forces in theDonbas region and highlights the ongoing challenges they face in defending against the Russian advance. The strategic implications of this capture remain to be seen, but it is likely to have a significant impact on the course of the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
【来源】https://news.ifeng.com/c/8cGxP2ewElu
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