The situation on the eastern front of the war in Ukraine has “considerably deteriorated”, Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky said this Saturday, noting an “intensification” of the offensive by the Russian army, which is pushing in particular towards Chassiv Yar. As if to illustrate his remarks, the Russian army claimed the capture of a village near Avdiïvka at midday.
“The situation on the eastern front has deteriorated considerably in recent days. This is primarily due to a significant intensification of the enemy’s offensive after the presidential election in Russia, which took place in mid-March, he wrote on Telegram. The Russian army is attacking Ukrainian positions in the Lyman and Bakhmut sectors “with assault groups supported by armored vehicles,” as well as in the Pokrovsk sector, he said.
Tchassiv Iar, the key to a Russian advance
“This is made possible by the hot and dry weather, which made most of the open areas accessible to tanks,” explained Oleksandr Syrsky. Despite the losses, the Russian army deployed “new armored units”, which allowed it to achieve “tactical successes”.
The Russians have intensified their pressure around Chassiv Yar in recent days, with this key eastern locality now finding itself “under constant fire”, according to kyiv. This city, perched on a height, extends less than 30 kilometers southeast of Kramatorsk, the main city in the region under Ukrainian control and an important railway and logistics hub for the Ukrainian army.
Seizing it would offer Russian soldiers a chance to advance in the region. This offensive occurs at a very delicate time for the Ukrainian troops, who are struggling to recruit new forces in the face of an adversary with better stocked and armed units.