According to the Ukrainian military, Russia has concentrated approximately 25,000 troops near the critical town of Chasiv Yar. This comes as the Kremlin asserts its capture of yet another village in the Donetsk region.
According to Ukrainian television, Nazar Voloshyn, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Khortytsia grouping of forces, stated that the enemy has gathered a force of 20,000-25,000 servicemen around Chasiv Yar.
Chasiv Yar, a town located to the west of the Russian-controlled Donetsk city of Bakhmut, has been referred to as a “fortress city” by the U.S. think tank, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). According to the ISW’s assessment, the capture of Chasiv Yar would provide Russia with an advantage in targeting other important defensive settlements in Ukraine.
According to the ISW, capturing Chasiv Yar would provide Russia with the opportunity to sever Kostiantynivka, which is considered the crucial defense stronghold in Ukraine’s Donetsk region.
According to Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the army chief of Ukraine, Moscow is currently making efforts to “penetrate our defenses west of Bakhmut,” seize control of Chasiv Yar, and establish conditions for advancing further towards the city of Kramatorsk in Donetsk, located to the northwest of Chasiv Yar.
According to Syrskyi, the Kremlin has set a goal to capture Chasiv Yar by May 9.
According to the ISW’s assessment on Saturday, the fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces near Chasiv Yar on May 4 persisted, but there were no confirmed alterations to this specific front line.
Russia has primarily concentrated its efforts on the front lines in the east, specifically targeting areas west of Bakhmut and Avdiivka. These regions were once strongholds of Ukraine but were captured by Russia in February 2024.
In the past 24 hours, Ukraine’s military successfully defended against numerous attacks near Bakhmut. These attacks included incidents near the villages of Klishchiivka, southwest of Bakhmut, and Ivanivske, which is located west of Bakhmut and east of Chasiv Yar.
On Sunday, the Defense Ministry of Russia announced that it had launched an attack on Ukrainian positions near Bakhmut, specifically targeting areas in and around Klishchiivka.
According to a statement released by Moscow, Russian forces have successfully liberated the village of Ocheretyne, which is located northwest of Russian-held Avdiivka.
In late April, the Ukrainian armed forces reported that Russia had established a presence in Ocheretyne and that intense fighting was ongoing.
According to the latest assessment by the ISW, Russian forces achieved a significant tactical advancement in the vicinity of Arkhanhelske, located northwest of Avdiivka, between Friday and Saturday. Earlier this month, Russian media had reported Ukraine’s withdrawal from the village, and footage geolocated from Friday revealed the retreat of Kyiv’s troops from the northern part of the village.
