Flattened – Kiev forced to give up Chassiv Yar district

“It was no longer possible to hold the canal district after the enemy entered,” a Ukrainian military spokesman said Thursday. The defensive positions were destroyed and the lives of their own soldiers were in danger. The army leadership decided to withdraw to better protected positions.

Khasiv Yar is located about ten kilometers from Bakhmut, which was captured by Russian forces in May 2023 after a long battle. A breakthrough could make it easier for the Russian army to gain access to key mining towns such as Kramatorsk in the Donbass, which are still controlled by Ukraine. It was initially unclear whether Russian soldiers had succeeded in overcoming a canal to the east of the town, which had previously served as a natural defense line for the Ukrainian army.

The news channel ‘DeepState’, which is close to the Ukrainian army, said on the online service Telegram that the Novi district was ‘completely razed to the ground’. Further resistance would only have led to heavy losses. “Withdrawing from the district is therefore a logical, albeit difficult, decision,” it continued.

Ukraine: situation “extremely difficult”
Ukraine rejected the Russian reports. “We do not see any slowdown in the artillery strikes. The enemy is using artillery and multiple rocket launchers,” the spokesman for the 24th brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces, which is defending the city, told state television Suspilne. The situation is “extremely difficult” and there is fighting over the canal. “The situation remains tense. But the 24th brigade is holding its positions.”

The Russian army has gradually advanced to the front in recent months. At the same time, Russia continues its daily airstrikes on Ukraine, especially its cities and energy infrastructure.

Five people were killed in an attack in Dnipro
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said five people were killed in a Russian attack in the city of Dnipro on Wednesday. “35 people were injured, including a child,” Zelensky wrote on online networks. Regional Governor Serhiy Lysak said a 14-year-old was among the wounded.

The news portal Medusa published an eyewitness video:

Ukrainian media released amateur footage of the attack, showing a large cloud of smoke over the city. The head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional council, Mykola Lukashuk, shared photos online of buildings torn to pieces and broken glass strewn across the ground. “This is what one of the city’s shopping malls looks like now,” Lukashuk explained. Cars and windows were smashed and a gas station was also hit.

Zelensky appeals to allies after deadly attacks
Zelensky said Ukraine needed more air defense systems and longer-range weapons to stop further Russian attacks. Officials also reported nighttime raids in Ukraine’s eastern regions of Donetsk and Kharkiv, killing two civilians.

The Ukrainian president has also repeatedly asked allies for permission to use the Western weapons supplied against targets deep in Russian territory, for example against military airports. “We are actively discussing all this with our partners at all levels,” the head of state said.

So far, the Ukrainian army is only allowed to use heavy weapons in the frontline area and east of Kharkov in the border area with Russia, because the allies are concerned about excessive involvement in the war with Russia. When carrying out attacks deep in the Russian hinterland, Ukraine uses drones that do not have as much explosive power as cruise missiles or rockets.