The key eastern Ukrainian stronghold of Chasiv Yar has fallen to advancing Russian troops, according to five independent Ukrainian and European military and government sources, The Moscow Times has confirmed.
While neither the Ukrainian nor Russian militaries have officially acknowledged the city’s capture, sources on the ground report that Ukrainian forces have been pushed to the outskirts, marking a major shift in a battle that has raged since April 2024.
Chasiv Yar, a strategically vital hilltop city in the Donetsk region, had faced relentless Russian assaults for nearly a year. Despite being well-fortified, Ukrainian defenders struggled to hold their ground amid manpower shortages and dwindling Western military aid. By late 2024, Russian forces had gained the upper hand, systematically tightening their grip on the city.
A Ukrainian military source confirmed the city’s fall, stating simply: “Yes, that’s how it is.”
“All supply roads in and out of the city are being heavily bombed,” another source reported, referring to intensified Russian strikes on the western approaches to Chasiv Yar.
A Gradual but Relentless Advance
Russian forces launched their first direct assault on Chasiv Yar in April 2024. By April 21, they had captured the nearby town of Bohdanivka, securing a key position for their advance.
By mid-October, Moscow’s troops had breached Ukrainian defensive lines, seizing parts of southeastern Chasiv Yar and establishing footholds along its canal network. They reached the city center by mid-November, escalating urban combat. Despite determined Ukrainian counterattacks, Russian troops continued their advance, particularly in the north, by late December. Heavy fighting was still reported in the city’s western districts as recently as Monday.
Chasiv Yar was Ukraine’s last major defensive position before the larger urban centers of Kostyantynivka, Kramatorsk, and Sloviansk—key Russian objectives in the broader battle for control over the Donetsk region.
“The Russians are in the city center; any remaining Ukrainian troops are the last holdouts on the outskirts,” a third source with multiple military contacts reported.
