Photo: REUTERS/Oleksandr Ratushniak/File photo.
The capture of this town west of Bakhmut on the day Moscow celebrates the Soviet victory in World War II shows that Russia is gaining momentum on the battlefield while Kyiv faces scarce aid from the West.
General Oleksandr Syrskyi, who warned over the weekend of a worsening situation on the battlefield in eastern Ukraine, said Russia was concentrating its forces west of the city of Bakhmut to capture Chasiv Yar before moving on to Kramatorsk.
Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region is about 5-10km from Bahkmut, a city that was taken over by Russian forces in May 2023 after months of fighting.
On Telegram, he said that Kyiv's brigades have so far repelled attacks near Chasiv Yar and have been supplied with additional ammunition, remotely controlled aircraft, and electronic warfare equipment.
“Threats remain, especially with the information that the Russian leadership has set the goal of capturing Chasiv Yar by May 9 to their soldiers.”
Russia will mark May 9 with a huge parade in Red Square attended by President Vladimir Putin, who won re-election to a new six-year term in March.
Major offensive campaign
The war has escalated in recent weeks after Russia launched three large-scale airstrikes on Ukrainian power plants and transformer stations, raising concerns about the sustainability of an electricity system that was severely damaged during the first winter of the war.
“The situation on the battlefield is always difficult in such a tense war. But these days – especially on the Donetsk front – the situation is getting more and more difficult,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening report on Sunday.
The Ukrainian leader has warned that the Kremlin could be preparing to launch an offensive in late spring or summer.
It is not yet clear where this campaign will be carried out, but in recent times, Russia has concentrated its forces on attacking the Donetsk region.
Ukraine has this year tried to find a weak spot to attack the Kremlin, using domestically produced long-range drones to bomb oil production facilities deep inside Russian territory.
Ukraine is now facing manpower challenges and a shortage of artillery shells.
On X, Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia, said the battle at Chasiv Yar could be of major importance.
“Chasiv Yar is strategically located and easy to defend. If Russia takes this town, it will be able to accelerate its advance deep into the Donetsk region during the summer campaign.”
“Russian forces would still have to cross the canal to take the town, but they have now moved to the canal southeast of the town. Immediate ammunition supplies could be of great importance.”
Nguyen Quang Minh (according to Reuters)
Source
Comment (0)