Siege of Chasiv Yar: Russia intensifies assault with daily bombings
Russians are storming Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region in Ukraine. The situation is very difficult. It is estimated that Russian planes drop about 20-30 bombs daily. "The Russians want to destroy everything to the ground and take control of the ruins," says a spokesman for the Ukrainian army.
Russian forces continue attempts to capture the city. "They use guided aerial bombs, missile projectiles, and large-calibre artillery," informed on Thursday a spokesman for the Ukrainian Operational-Strategic Group Chortyca, Lieutenant Colonel Nazar Voloshyn.
Russians are exploiting the advantage
Voloshyn emphasised that currently, "the greatest pressures from the Russian armed forces are being exerted in the direction of Bakhmut." The situation around Chasiv Yar is complicated, but the defence forces control it, and the enemy is not present there.
"Nevertheless, the Russians still use their advantage in the air, missile projectiles, and large-calibre artillery ammunition in pursuit of conducting storm operations," Voloshyn said during an interview for Ukrainian television.
20-30 aerial bombs daily
The spokesperson added that Russian units, with the support of combat infantry vehicles, "attack with the support of reconnaissance and strike drones." Voloshyn noted that Russian forces dropped "KAB-type bombs" on the city of Chasiv Yar, thus destroying civil infrastructure.
Voloshyn also pointed out the fact that Russian aviation conducts attacks every day. It is estimated that "Russian planes drop about 20-30 bombs" daily on the positions of Ukrainian defenders and civil infrastructure. He emphasised that the Russian tactic is based on "complete destruction of the settlements and taking control over the ruins".
Recent days have brought a tightening of the situation at the front, although it has not led to significant escalation so far. According to the spokesperson, the most tense areas in the zone of responsibility of the group Chortyca are the directions of Bakhmut and Avdiivka. "It is there that Russian forces try to storm the positions of Ukrainian troops."
"Russian armed forces use artillery, tanks, unmanned aerial vehicles of various types and classes, and aviation to carry out attacks using guided aerial bombs. They aim to reach the administrative borders of the Donetsk region," emphasised Voloshyn.
They will open their way to two important cities
According to experts from the American Institute for the Study of War, Russian troops' potential control over the town of Chasiv Yar "would open the way for an offensive on the nearby Kostiantynivka." The latter has long been seen as "an important goal of the Russian operation in Donbas."
Taking control of these localities would likely "enable the preparation of an offensive on Kramatorsk and Sloviansk," two key cities of Donbas, which remain under Kyiv's control.
