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Chasiv Yar

A bakery worker sifts flour to bake bread in Druzhkivka, Ukraine on Dec. 16, 2024.

‘We are where we're needed:’ The local entrepreneurs, businesses who stay in front-line Donetsk Oblast

by Yelyzaveta Sekretarenko

DRUZHKIVKA, Donetsk Oblast — A loud explosion goes off, followed by a second. People begin to run in different directions. Despite the chaos, taxi driver Serhiy Pohrebnyakov sits calmly behind the wheel, waiting for customers. Pohrebnyakov’s wife and daughter fled Druzhkivka after the start of the full-scale invasion, leaving him

Ukraine war latest: Ukraine hits 2 oil depots in Russia overnight; Zelensky sanctions top pro-Russian politicians

Ukraine war latest: Ukraine hits 2 oil depots in Russia overnight; Zelensky sanctions top pro-Russian politicians

by The Kyiv Independent news desk

Key developments on Jan. 19: * Ukraine hits 2 oil depots in Russia overnight * Zelensky slaps sanctions on Ukraine's top pro-Russian politicians * Lack of medical treatment, problems with unit transfers most common causes of appeals, new military ombudsman says * Ukrainian troops withdraw from, launch attack on Chasiv Yar refractory plant * SBU

About Chasiv Yar

Chasiv Yar is a town in Donetsk Oblast, currently at the center of Russia’s military push further west into Ukraine. With a population of around 12,000 before the start of the full-scale invasion, its name means ‘quiet ravine’.

What is the strategic significance of Chasiv Yar?

Chasiv Yar is situated around 10 kilometers (six miles) west of Bakhmut, captured by Russia in May 2023. Russia ramped up its offensive on Chasiv Yar in February 2024 after capturing Avdiivka, which lies about 50 kilometers (31 miles) to the south. 

The Ukrainian military said on April 22 that Russia is deploying as many as 25,000 troops to take the town, which it sees as a crucial step for further advances toward Kostiantynivka, Kramatorsk, and Sloviansk. These cities are considered the last strongholds of Ukrainian control over Donetsk Oblast.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia will attempt to capture Chasiv Yar by May 9, which Russia celebrates as “Victory Day,” a militaristic public holiday marking the end of the Second World War in Europe.

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