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The loss of long-held Ukrainian defensive positions outside Toretsk and inside New York, a smaller town a few miles to the south, underscored the growing strains of unrelenting Russian attacks and devastating aerial bombardments are placing on Ukrainian forces.
While Kyiv has stepped up efforts to mobilize soldiers to replace tens of thousands killed or wounded in battle, Moscow continues to exploit the lack of Ukrainian reserves and the time it takes to train new soldiers and deploy them to the front.
But if Russian forces manage to seize the longtime defensive bastions in the Toretsk area, they would be poised to press on toward Kostiantynivka, a logistical linchpin for Ukrainian forces in the east, from yet another direction of attack.
For months, the Russians have been bombarding Chasiv Yar, a city to the north of Kostiantynivka, with the same goal in mind, Ukrainian commanders and military analysts say. The Russians are also pressing to cut off the main highway running south from Kostiantynivka to the city of Pokrovsk, advancing several miles in that direction in recent weeks and unbalancing Ukrainian defenses.
The origin of the name of the town remains a mystery that is the subject of many local legends. It could come from an entrepreneur or local dignitary, who would have settled from the United States or who would have had as a partner an American citizen from New York City.[5] Another explanation refers to the city of Jork, currently in northern Germany, where Mennonite settlers may have come from. The local historian Viktor Kovalov thus believes that the name of the locality may have corresponded to "Neu Jork" (new Jork) and evolved over time. It may also be the result of a transliteration error from the Latin alphabet to the Cyrillic alphabet.[6] However, the establishment of the Mennonites officially dates back to 1889, whereas the name Niu-York predates it. Another track recalls that names with a famous evocation were frequent in the region in the 19th century. Historical maps show a "Swiss farm" near Druzhkivka or a hamlet called "Carthage" around Soledar.[7] Also, historian Viktor Kovalov does not rule out the possibility of a joke.[5]
New York first appeared on maps in 1846.[8] The first official mention of the name of New York (Нью-Йорк) dates back to 1859 as one of the results of the census of the Yekaterinoslav Governorate, then part of the Russian Empire. The 1859 census confirmed that the locality then had 13 households, 45 men, 40 women and a factory.[8]
Russian propagandist Vladimir Solovyov claimed the flag's footage as evidence that Niu-York fell to Russian hands. This was promptly denied by Andrii Kovalenko, the head of the counter-disinformation department at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council.
"As of now, Niu-York has not been taken by Russia. Heavy fighting continues there," Kovalenko said on Telegram.