Ukraine War Map Shows Kyiv Recapture Part of 'New York' Amid Russia Gains

Ukrainian forces fighting in the devastated eastern Donetsk region have reportedly made slight gains around the town named for New York, just north of the Russian-captured fortified settlement of Avdiivka and the key city of Donetsk.

The latest battlefield maps published by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) on Monday evening showed that Kyiv's troops "recently regained lost positions near Toretsk, and Russian forces recently advanced near Toretsk and Avdiivka," reflecting the bloody, but minimal, territorial bartering taking place on the Donetsk front.

"Geolocated footage published on July 14 shows that Ukrainian forces recently recaptured some positions within southern Niu York (south of Toretsk) and confirms some claims of Russian advance within the city," the ISW wrote, using the Ukrainian spelling of the town named after the U.S. state.

Newsweek could not independently verify the reports and has contacted the Russian defense ministry by email to request comment.

New York sits just south of the town of Toretsk, now a vital fulcrum in Ukraine's beleaguered front after the retreat from Avdiivka in February. Russian forces have spent months edging forwards on the Donetsk contact line, reportedly at high cost.

The next major target westwards is the city of Chasiv Yar. The loss of Toretsk and New York—around 15 and 17 miles south of Chasiv Yar, respectively—would threaten the city's southern flank.

Earlier this month, Ukrainian commanders confirmed a retreat from part of Chasiv Yar under intense Russian pressure. The military said it had fallen back from the town's Kanal district, saying "the enemy had entered," destroying "defenders' positions" and threatening "the lives and wellbeing of our soldiers."

A Russian seizure of the city would bring Moscow closer to winning all of the Donetsk Oblast; a key war goal since the beginning of the February 2022 invasion. The city has served as a vital hub for Kyiv since its conflict with Russia began in 2014, and it was home to the headquarters for the Joint Forces Operation against the Kremlin and its local proxies.

Chasiv Yar—now abandoned by almost all of its pre-war residents—was a key staging point for Ukrainian forces for the fighting defense of Bakhmut, which fell in May 2023.

The hilltop city offers commanding views over the surrounding area, and taking it may allow Russian forces to eject Ukrainian troops from a large salient to the south and push Kyiv's units further from Russian supply and communication lines in the Bakhmut area.

Chasiv Yar is also a gateway to the cities of Kramatorsk and Slovyansk, both strategic objectives for Moscow's forces.

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