Russian military targets Chasiv Yar, key Ukrainian stronghold in Donetsk Oblast

Russian invaders are trying to break through the defense of Ukrainian troops in the Chasiv Yar area, near Bakhmut district, in Donetsk Oblast, said Spokesperson of “Luhansk” operational tactical group Anastasia Bobovnikova, according to UkrInform.

The capture of Chasiv Yar would allow the Russian military to launch an offensive against other cities in the region—Kostiantynivka, Druzhkivka, Kramatorsk, and Sloviansk.

In April 2024, Ukrainian Army Spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Nazar Voloshyn said that losing the town would seriously complicate the situation for Ukrainian forces, as all logistics routes in the area would be in the enemy’s hands.

“In the Chasiv Yar area, intense fighting is ongoing. The enemy is trying to break our defense. When they cannot attack us directly, as they also suffer significant losses in the Kramatorsk direction, they try small strikes to find weak points in our defense. They hit here and there, hoping that they will achieve their goals,” said Bobovnikova.

The Ukrainian spokesperson noted that the Ukrainian military’s tactic is to cut off Russian logistics routes and leave the occupiers without reinforcements.

“To destroy the enemy, all means are appropriate. We are grateful to our partners who provide us with artillery systems, shells, aviation, and armored combat vehicles. We use all these weapons as effectively as possible on the battlefield. We are also actively using drones,” added Bobovnikova.

Earlier, Ukrainian National Guard Spokesperson Ruslan Muzychuk said Russian troops were conducting numerous assaults on Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Oblast as they attempt to cross the Kanal micro-district in the city.

Previously, Ukrainian authorities arrested a 22-year-old soldier on suspicion of state treason for allegedly aiding Russian forces during the battle for Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Oblast.

Ukrainian drone operator detained for allegedly aiding Russians in Chasiv Yar

According to investigators, the suspect, a drone operator in a combat brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine defending the Kramatorsk direction, was remotely recruited by an officer of Russia’s Federal Security Service in 2023. The SBU claims that the soldier leaked the positions of his UAV unit, which was responsible for coordinating fire against Russian forces attacking Chasiv Yar.

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