According to the open-source intelligence system DeepState, Russian troops have advanced deep into Toretsk, a key Ukrainian logistics hub and Moscow's main tactical target in the Donetsk region.

A military expert told Ukraine's TSN news agency that if Toretsk falls, Moscow will continue to target Kostyantynivka, one of Russia's strategic targets in its plan to gain control of the entire Donetsk region.

DeepState, using satellite imagery, has confirmed the presence of Russian troops on the southeastern outskirts of the city of Toretsk, with the area controlled by Moscow having increased by several dozen blocks.

Russia also carried out three airstrikes on Shcherbynivka, a rural settlement just west of Toretsk, according to the Ukrainian General Staff.

On October 11, a local official in Toretsk confirmed to Reuters that Russia had taken control of half the city and advanced closer to the center.

Toretsk is located 40km north of the city of Donetsk (capital of Donetsk Oblast) and 22km south of Chasiv Yar, with a main road running through the city itself.

Chasiv Yar, a strategic Russian target, remains under Ukrainian control despite fierce fighting as Kiev struggles to repel Moscow's fierce attacks.

"Toretsk is located on strategic heights, as is Chasiv Yar," military-political expert Dmytro Snehiryov told Freedom TV, which also serves as a logistics center for Ukrainian forces.

"By capturing Toretsk, Russia will also gain control over the logistical routes connecting the operational rear of the Ukrainian Armed Forces with the combat zone," Snehiryov added.

Russia has made steady advances on Ukraine's eastern front in recent months, capturing Vuhledar, another important logistics hub and tactical stronghold in the region, after Ukrainian troops withdrew on October 1.

Ukrainian frontline forces later told the Kyiv Post that Russia's pincer attack tactics and Ukraine's lack of reinforcements were responsible for Vuhledar's fall.

Russia has also stepped up attacks on Pokrovsk, another key Ukrainian city, although the Ukrainian army has maintained control of the area in the face of repeated attacks from Moscow.

Nearly three years after the outbreak of hostilities, Russia has taken control of most of the Lugansk region. Donbass, which includes Lugansk and Donetsk, is Kiev's leading heavy industrial center and has contributed significantly to Ukraine's economy.

Russia is said to be accelerating its offensive on Donetsk to push Ukraine out of the area, taking advantage of the fall and winter when the weather and terrain are still favorable for operations.

In addition, observers say Moscow has accelerated its attacks on all hot spots in Donetsk to take advantage of Ukraine's concentration of forces in Kursk on Russian territory. By attacking many strategic areas at the same time, Russia has forced Ukraine to spread its forces thin, leaving Kiev facing a shortage of manpower and ammunition to resist.