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Russia deployed more than 20,000 troops to push Ukraine away from the strategic fortress 0
(Dan Tri) – Ukraine estimates that Russia has mobilized tens of thousands of troops around the strategic fortress of Chasiv Yar in Eastern Ukraine.
Ukrainian soldiers ride on an armored personnel carrier near Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region (Photo: AFP).
`The enemy has gathered a force of 20,000-25,000 soldiers around Chasiv Yar,` Nazar Voloshyn, spokesman for Ukraine’s Khortytsia forces, said on television on May 5.
According to Newsweek, the city of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk province, Eastern Ukraine is currently under the control of Kiev.
Chasiv Yar is a key town west of the Russian-controlled city of Bakhmut.
Control of Chasiv Yar could also allow Russia to cut off the Kostiantynivka settlement, which would compromise `Ukraine’s defensive backbone` in the Donetsk region, ISW said.
Ukraine’s military commander, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, said last month that Moscow was trying to `break Ukraine’s defenses west of Bakhmut`, gain control of Chasiv Yar and `create conditions for further advance`.
According to General Syrskyi, Russia wants to control Chasiv Yar before the Victory Day celebration on May 9.
`Ukrainian and Russian forces continued to fight near Chasiv Yar on May 4, but no changes were confirmed on this front line,` ISW said.
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Chasiv Yar location on the map (Photo: UW).
Russia has focused its main offensive efforts on the eastern front line, west of Bakhmut and west of Avdiivka, the former Ukrainian stronghold that Russia declared control of in February.
Ukraine’s military said on May 5 that it had repelled dozens of Russian attacks near Bakhmut in the previous 24 hours, including around the villages of Klishchiivka, southwest of Bakhmut, and Ivanivske, west of Bakhmut and east of Chasiv.
On the same day, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that its army had attacked Ukrainian positions near Bakhmut, including around Klishchiivka.
Moscow also said Russian forces had complete control of the village of Ocheretyne, northwest of the Avdiivka region currently controlled by Russia.
Ukraine’s armed forces said in late April that Russia had gained a foothold in Ocheretyne and fierce fighting continued.
If Chasiv Yar falls, Moscow can take advantage of this elevated position to attack a series of neighboring Ukrainian military cities: Kostyantynivka, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.
Deputy Director of the Ukrainian Intelligence Service Vadim Skibitsky agreed with the view that Moscow’s control of Chasiv Yar is `only a matter of time`.
`Militarily, the town remains one of the important defensive posts, increasing logistical and technical support for Ukrainian combat forces operating in this area,` Mr. Skibitsky said.
`The important issue now is that Russia is likely to turn the conflict in this region into a series of successive attacks and pressure actions. The collapse of one of Ukraine’s defense layers, such as the system
Politically, the Russian army’s control of Chasiv Yar, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky once called `an impregnable fortress`, would deal a strong psychological blow to the morale of Kiev’s army.
`The fall of Ukraine at Chasiv Yar is just like the battle of Kursk during World War 2. The war will continue but the Ukrainian army will have to retreat and suffer defeat in the Donbass region. That is the reason for the collapse