Chasiv Yar is under siege. Russian repeat Avdiivka tactics ahead of WWII end anniversary

Russians are bombing Chasiv Yar in eastern Ukraine. The highest commander of the Ukrainian armed forces had earlier reported that Moscow aims to capture the city by May 8 - just before the anniversary of the end of World War II. The British Ministry of Defence believes that the intense bombardments are a repetition of the tactics seen in the Avdiivka campaign.

Russian troops are conducting intense bombardments in eastern Ukraine to capture Chasiv Yar, similar to the tactics used in the campaign about Avdiivka, according to the latest report by the Ministry of Defence of Great Britain. However, the British have noted that the progress of the Russian ground forces is slow.

In the daily intelligence update, it was highlighted that on April 14, the commander of the Ukrainian armed forces, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, made a statement indicating that Russian troops plan to capture Chasiv Yar by May 9. This day is observed in Russia as Victory Day. General Syrskyi mentioned that taking control of the town was part of the strategy to conquer the larger city, Kramatorsk, subsequently.

On April 18, the commander of the Ukrainian Operational-Strategic Group Chortytsia reported that Russian air forces dropped 20-30 pieces of ammunition daily. These are likely dropped by Su-25 aircraft, which operate close to the front line, and by Su-34 aircraft, which act from a longer distance and use gliding bombs.

The report stated that the bombardments were coordinated and reflected tactics previously seen in Avdiivka. It noted that Chasiv Yar, a heavily fortified city on elevated terrain, is experiencing only slow progression from Russian ground forces.