Russian troops have not entered the suburbs of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Oblast, a spokesperson for Ukraine's eastern command, Andrii Zadubinnyi, told Reuters on April 5.
Chasiv Yar lies around 10 kilometers west of Bakhmut and 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of Avdiivka, two settlements that Russia captured in May 2023 and February 2024, respectively.
Russian troops have been focusing their efforts near Chasiv Yar, which they see as crucial for further advances toward Kostiantynivka, Kramatorsk, and Sloviansk, the Ukrainian military said.
Russian proxies claimed on April 5 that Moscow's forces allegedly reached the suburb of Chasiv Yar, according to Kremlin-controlled news agency RIA Novosti.
Zadubinnyi urged not to believe Russian claims.
"The situation there is very difficult; the fighting continues, but they (Russian troops) are not there," Zadubinnyi said.
Russian troops conducted a roughly reinforced company-sized mechanized assault towards Chasiv Yar on April 4, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote in their recent report, referring to the footage. Russia advanced up to the eastern outskirts of the city, but Ukrainian forces prevented it from making further advances into Chasiv Yar, according to the ISW.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an evening address on April 4 that despite the ammunition shortage, Ukraine had managed "to stabilize positions" in the sectors where Moscow "expected to succeed."
In late March, Zelensky did not rule out that a major Russian offensive may come at the end of May or in June.
Francis Farrell
