Ukraine’s top commander, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, said on Sunday, the 14th of April, that Russian forces aim to take the city of Chasiv Yar by the 9th of May, setting the stage for an important battle for control in the east, where Russia is concentrating its attacks, reports Reuters.
The current focus is on the west of occupied Bakhmut, with plans to advance towards Kramatorsk after taking Chasiv Yar, Syrskyi said,
Kyiv brigades are holding off attacks near Chasiv Yar for now; they have received ammunition, drones and electronic warfare devices, he told on Telegram.
“The threat is still relevant, given that the Russian military high command
has tasked its troops to take Chasiv Yar by the 9th of May,” he said, without elaborating further.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov said on Facebook that he visited Ukrainian troops on the eastern front on Sunday and described the situation as “tense” as Russia tries to make gains in areas west of Bakhmut.
“Despite the numerical superiority of the enemy, we effectively foiled these plans thanks to the courage, training and professionalism of the defenders,” he wrote.
Russia marks the 9th of May with a large military parade in Red Square, overseen by President Vladimir Putin.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a Sunday night address: “The situation at the front is always difficult during such a hot war. But these days – and especially on the Donetsk front – it is becoming more and more difficult.”
Rob Lee, Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, stressed the strategic importance of Chasiv Yar as it is located on a defensible high ground, warning that if Russia captured the city, it
could accelerate its advance deeper into the Donetsk region as part of its upcoming summer offensive.
Lee stressed that while Russian forces still have to cross the canal to take the city, they have already reached the canal south-east of Chasiv Yar, while “an immediate increase in ammunition supplies could prove critical”.
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