The Russian army announced that it has taken control of New York City in the Donetsk region, amid its ongoing advancement in Eastern Ukraine. The town was named New York until 1951, when Soviet authorities renamed it Novgorodskoye during the Cold War, but it regained its name in the summer of 2021 under pressure from Ukrainian activists. The town is located six kilometers south of Toretsk, which has been under continuous Russian attack for several weeks, resulting in significant destruction.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported in its daily update that it has "liberated Novgorodskoye (the Russian name for the city)," one of the largest towns in the Toretsk area and a logistics center of strategic importance. While the Ukrainian offensive in the Kursk region over the past two weeks has garnered significant attention by moving the battle into Russian territory, the war continues to be concentrated in Eastern Ukraine where the Russian army, which is superior in many aspects and equipment, is making slow progress. Russian President Vladimir Putin has prioritized the control of the entire Donbas region, which includes Donetsk and Luhansk, in his assault on Ukraine.
