Ukrainian Troops Withdraw After Chasiv Yar Is Controlled By Russia

Ukrainian Military/PHOTO via Instagram @zelenskyy_official

JAKARTA - The Ukrainian military withdrew from parts of Chasiv Yar in the eastern region of Donetsk, a day after Russia said its forces controlled districts in the strategic city.

Chasiv Yar stands on the highlands. If they fully control the city, Russian troops have the potential to use it as a preparation post to advance west towards the cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk in Ukraine.

The Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday, July 3, its troops had taken control of the Novyati district, which is located west of the Siverskyi Donets-Donbas canal that crosses the eastern part of the city.

"Being impractical to defend the canal area after the enemy entered it, as it threatens the lives and health of our soldiers and the positions of our defenders are destroyed," military spokesman Nazar Voloshyn told Ukrainian television.

The command decided to retreat to a more protected and ready position, but even there the enemy did not stop his active combat action, he said.

Russian troops, which launched a massive invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, are slowly moving forward in the Donetsk region for several weeks and are trying to open a new front near the northeastern Kharkiv city.

Progress in Kharkiv's territory has stalled, but Ukrainian military analysts admit 2024 has been a difficult year for Ukraine on the battlefield and delays in accepting US military aid have an impact.

The Ukrainian military said in daily reports there had been more than 161 clashes in the past 24 hours, mostly in the Donetsk region.

Its troops have prevented Russian troops from breaking through Ukraine's defenses on the Kramatorsk front, covering the area near Chasiv Yar.

In the past week, the Ukrainian military has also reported an increase in fighting on the Toretsk front in the Donetsk region. Voloshyn said Russian troops had attacked 114 times there in the past week compared to 31 attacks in the previous week.