Russia aiming to capture Chasiv Yar by 9 May, Ukraine's military chief says

Russia’s ultimate goal in capturing Chasiv Yar was to “create conditions for further advancement towards the Kramatorsk agglomeration”, Syrskyi said. The city of Kramatorsk, around 25 km to the north of Chasiv Yar, has been the administrative centre of the Donetsk region since Russian-backed forces captured the regional capital Donetsk in 2014.

The Russian advance on Chasiv Yar was so far being “hindered by the heroic defence of [Ukrainian] brigades, who have literally dug into the ground, holding off daily enemy attacks”, Syrskyi continued.

Syrskyi’s comments on Russia’s plans to seize Chasiv Yar came just a day after he said that the situation on the frontline had “significantly deteriorated” over the past week, with Russia having “considerably” intensified its efforts in eastern Ukraine following Vladimir Putin’s re-election in March.

In his daily address on Sunday evening, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the situation on the front line in the Donetsk region was “aggravating” and repeated his appeal to Ukraine’s Western partners to bolster the country’s air defences.