According to both Russian and Ukrainian military bloggers, Ukrainian defenses have been breached in Chasiv Yar and Russian shock troops have entered the city.
Elite Russian Troops Spearheading Thrust
At approximately 2250 EST on April 30th, 2024, Russian military bloggers reported that infantry had crossed the Siverskyi Donets-Donbas Canal which lies 1km southeast of Chasiv Yar proper in Donetsk Oblast. This canal has been a major obstacle enforced by the Ukrainians with mines, indirect fires and infantry fighting positions against Russian thrusts from Bakhmut.
#NewsMap
Russian invasion forces crossed the #ChasivYar canal, 1 km S-E of the town. It is now just a question of time before they enter the settlement either from the East or from the South. pic.twitter.com/ah7zJ2eU8G— Julian Röpcke?? (@JulianRoepcke) April 30, 2024
By 1300 EST on April 30th, 2024, Ukrainian military bloggers had confirmed that Russian forces had accumulated a “huge” mass of troops on the front West of Bakhmut, primed to assault Chasiv Yar exactly near the canal.
By 0430 EST this morning, after initial claims that Russian forces had circumvented the Kanal District, reports began to flood in that the 98th Airborne Division pushed through Ukrainian defenses south of “Canal” micro district and reached “Siverskyi Donets-Donbas Canal”. By 0800 EST, the first Ukrainian official confirmed the worst: that the fighting had reached the city limits.
Chasiv Yar, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine military administration head Chaus told his TG followers that fighting had reached the city limits. He said:
“682 people remain in Chasiv Yar and in the entire Chasiv Yar community… These are ordinary people, residents of the community, who stayed, despite the hostilities, which are actually taking place on the border of our city.”
Capture the City by May 9th
According to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russian forces have been ordered to capture the city by May 9th, which commemorates the victory of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany in WW2. The employment of the 98th Guards VDV division indicates those claims have some truth considering that unit is considered among the best trained and equipped in the Russian Ground Forces. However, it has suffered immense attrition since February 2022 as Russian commanders were forced to utilize the VDV as regular ground troops given the lack of air superiority for airborne operations.
If Chasiv Yar falls, the road to Kramatorsk and Slovyansk will be within grasp of Russian Ground Forces.
This is developing.
