Battle for Chasiv Yar: Have Russian forces breached defense?
Photo: The situation in Chasiv Yar has recently deteriorated (Getty Images).
The Bild reported that the Russian forces allegedly managed to breach the defense of Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region and establish a foothold. This information has been officially denied by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, but military officials acknowledge that the situation in the city has become more complicated.
For details on the situation in the city and why the enemy is trying to seize it, see the material by RBC-Ukraine.
Contents:
- What Bild reported
- Luhansk Operational and Tactical Group denies the successes of Russia
- What military personnel say
- Why the enemy wants to capture Chasiv Yar
What Bild reported
The battle for Chasiv Yar has been ongoing for almost a year. However, according to Bild analyst Julian Röpcke, after the Russian army struggled to cross the Siverskyi Donets River for several months, on October 18, the Chechen vanguard crossed it and advanced along the southern outskirts of the city.
"After five months of intense fighting the Russian invasion army pierced through the Ukrainian front south of Chasiv Yar and hoisted its flag on an industrial building 2.5 km beyond the channel," Röpcke stated.
He believes that Russian troops will not advance further west but are most likely to turn north and attack the center of Chasiv Yar.
Photo: on the DeepState map, there is a noticeable “claw” forming near ChasivYar from the south (screenshot of the map)
Luhansk Operational and Tactical Group denies the successes of Russia
In turn, Major Anastasia Bobovnikova, spokesperson for the Luhansk Operational and Tactical Group, did not confirm to RBC-Ukraine that Russian forces had managed to advance or gain a foothold in the Chasiv Yar area.
"Considering that the enemy uses the tactic of small assault groups, enemy infantry runs past the canal. However, such maneuvers come with significant losses for the Russians. Ukrainian forces quickly repel these attacks, pushing Russian units back," she said.
According to Bobovnikova, in practice, this looks like 3-5 Russian soldiers rush into a house; they conditionally "gained a foothold." However, the logistical routes to this position will be cut off, and these three individuals will inevitably be driven out and eliminated. This scenario has been repeating itself daily for a long time.
What military personnel say
Ukrainian military officials acknowledge that the situation in Chasiv Yar is complicated and trending toward deterioration.
Andrii Polukhin, a representative of the press service of the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after King Daniel, which defends Chasiv Yar, told Suspilne that the Ukrainian Defense Forces control the logistical routes and destroy Russian equipment. He also describes Russia's advance as temporary.
"The enemy may rush across the canal, take one, two, or three positions, but then they end up there. Assistance troops do not arrive because our guys start to shoot at everything that moves toward our positions. They regain positions, take back territories, and consolidate along the Siverskyi Donets River," the military official stated.
Why the enemy wants to capture Chasiv Yar
Russian troops seek to seize the city because its occupation would enable further movement toward Kostiantynivka and then on to Sloviansk. In other words, the enemy's goal is the full seizure of the entire territory of the Donetsk region within its administrative borders.
"Therefore, from the perspective of advancing through Kostiantynivka into the northern part of Donetsk, the enemy is acting in this direction and attempting to break through," said Oleksandr Musiienko, Head of the Сenter of Military Law Researches, in a comment to RBC-Ukraine.
The expert noted that the enemy has indeed had some tactical successes. However, measures are being taken to stabilize the situation and prevent further breakthroughs and the enemy's entry into the central part of the city or the western outskirts of Chasiv Yar.
"The situation has become complicated because the enemy has deployed additional fresh forces that it managed to bring in. Accordingly, this has led to their attempts to break through," Musiienko explained.
According to him, the situation is challenging due to the enemy's pressure. The ability of Ukrainian troops to hold Chasiv Yar will only be determined by real combat actions and the situation on the ground. If Russia dominates in terms of manpower and equipment and its offensive potential cannot be diminished, then further actions will depend on the evolving situation.
"If the situation worsens, it could potentially lead to a withdrawal to other positions from Chasiv Yar. However, I don't think this will happen quickly, as the fighting remains quite intense. Our fighters are doing everything they can to inflict losses on the enemy and halt their advance," Musiienko concluded.
Sources: Bild, DeepState, a statement by Andrii Polukhin, a representative of the press service of the 24th King Daniel Brigade, to Suspilne, as well as exclusive comments by Anastasia Bobovnikova, spokesperson for the Luhansk Operational and Tactical Group, and Oleksandr Musiienko, Head of the Сenter of Military Law Researches.
