Russia claims capture of New York — a town in Ukraine

A claim by Russian military forces on Tuesday to have captured New York might have drawn more than a few double takes. Rather than the U.S. metropolis, however, Moscow was referring to a town in eastern Ukraine previously known as Novgorodskoye.

“One of the largest settlements in the Toretsk agglomeration and the strategically important logistics hub of Novgorodskoye of the Donetsk People’s Republic was liberated,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Telegram.

New York, a suburb of Toretsk in the Donetsk region with a pre-war population of 10,000, would be the latest area to fall under Russian control during a series of advances in eastern Ukraine. It was renamed from Novgorodskoye in 2021, but prior to the Cold War was also known as “Нью-Йорк,” rendered variously as Neu Jork or Niu York.

New York, a suburb of Toretsk in the Donetsk region with a pre-war population of 10,000, would be the latest area to fall under Russian control. | Roman Pilipey/Getty Images

Ukrainian armed forces confirmed on Tuesday that Russia had attacked settlements in the area, but did not acknowledge the capture of the village.

“Today, the enemy is attacking near the settlements of New York, Nelipivka, Toretsk and Zalizne. Our defenders are giving a worthy rebuff to the enemy, 13 combats have already been completed, the battle continues. The aggressor’s aviation struck the settlement of Druzhba with unguided air missiles, and eleven anti-aircraft missiles struck Toretsk and Nelipivka,” the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in a statement on Facebook.

Earlier on Tuesday, Ukrainian online newspaper Ukrainska Pravda reported that Kyiv’s forces were still holding the line in the northern part of the village, and that fierce battles were taking place nearby.