Ukraine denies Russia breached Chasiv Yar defense line following conflicting reports

Russian troops were not able to get a foothold in Ukrainian defense lines in the city of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Oblast, Andrii Polukhin, a spokesperson of the 24th Mechanized Brigade, said in an interview with Free Radio on Oct. 22.

Hours prior, Ivan Petrychak, a representative of the 24th Mechanized Brigade's press service, said on national television that the Russian military managed to breach the defense, but there were no signs of the city's potential loss.

Russian small infantry groups enter the Ukrainian defense line but cannot exit because they are being blocked by Ukrainian drones, according to Polukhin.

"It cannot be called a consolidation or wedging; it is not some kind of movement along the line of defense," Polukhin said.

Petrychak, in turn, described the situation in this front-line sector as "difficult but controlled." The situation remained tense throughout the last month, and the Russian military made daily attempts to storm the positions of Ukrainian forces, according to Petrychak.

He added that Russian troops used an advantage of heavy fog to cross the channel to Chasiv Yar, which is now blocked.

The Russian army outnumbers the Ukrainian forces and is constantly trying to break through the Ukrainian defense line, shelling Chasiv Yar with artillery, launching missiles, and conducting bombardments with aircraft, according to Petrychak.

The Donetsk Oblast city of Chasiv Yar has been partially under Russian control since Ukrainian forces withdrew from the eastern Kanal neighborhood in July, establishing the Siverskyi Donets – Donbas Canal as the new front line.

Russian troops set their sights on Chasiv Yar, which is located on a higher ground, after capturing Avdiivka in February. The higher ground could give Russian troops a key strategic advantage in attacks on other towns in Donetsk Oblast.

Before the full-scale invasion, Chasiv Yar was home to about 12,000 people. By April 2024, around 700 people remained.

In recent months, Russian troops have been conducting a grinding advance in eastern Ukraine, making territorial gains while incurring heavy losses.

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The Kyiv IndependentDinara Khalilova