Fighting around the strategically important eastern Ukrainian city of Chasiv Yar has become ‘extremely difficult’ in the war against Russia. That’s according to a unit of the newly deployed Ukrainian military to defend the city from a possible fall to Russian forces.
Officials of the Ukrainian army’s 24th Mechanized Brigade said Russia continued to attack the city’s main settlements.
The city of Chasiv Yar is located west of Bakhmut. The town has been targeted by intense attacks since Russian forces took control of the neighboring Abdivka region last February.
The Ukrainian army brigade was redeployed to protect the city of Chasiv Yar after Moscow said hundreds of Ukrainian drones had been shot down overnight over Russian territory and over Crimea. Ukraine drone strike kills one in Russia, officials say
At the beginning of this year, Kiev faced a logistical crisis in the ongoing war against Russia. Since then, Russian forces have continued to make gains in the Donbass region of Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. Within a few days of the operation, Russian forces announced the occupation of the Donbas region. After that, Putin recognized the two regions of Donbass, Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states
Recently Russian forces are believed to have made Chasiv Yar the target of their attack. About 12 thousand people lived in the city before the war. Losing control of this mountainous city could make other Ukrainian cities in the Donbass even more vulnerable. All those cities would then come within Russian reach.
According to the US-based The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), if Russia captures the city of Chasiv Yar, it could become ‘crucial for raids’ on other cities. From here it would facilitate Russian attacks on the cities of Kostantinivka and Druzhkivka.
Russian forces have tried to enter Chasiv Yar and Klishivika in three rounds since Friday morning. This information was reported by the General Staff of the Army of Ukraine.