KYIV, Ukraine (BN24) — Russia declared Thursday that its forces have taken full control of Chasiv Yar, a strategic town in eastern Ukraine, following nearly 16 months of intense combat. The announcement signals what could be a pivotal gain in Moscow’s drawn-out eastern offensive, though Ukrainian officials are rejecting the claim and insisting fighting continues.
The Russian Defense Ministry said in a brief statement that its troops had “liberated” Chasiv Yar. The town, west of the destroyed city of Bakhmut, has long been seen as a critical defensive barrier for Ukraine in the Donetsk region. Its capture, if confirmed, would mark another hard-fought milestone for Moscow, whose troops have inched forward through a grinding campaign since spring 2024.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy swiftly dismissed Russia’s statement as “disinformation,” while a military spokesperson labeled it “propaganda.” Nonetheless, video footage posted online by a Russian military unit — and later verified by Reuters — showed Russian soldiers raising a paratrooper banner and the Russian national flag over the shattered ruins of the town.
The Ukrainian blog DeepState, which tracks battlefield developments using open-source intelligence, also disputed Moscow’s claim, asserting that Ukraine’s defense forces remain active in the area.
The battle for Chasiv Yar began in April 2024, when Russian airborne troops first reached the town’s eastern outskirts. Since then, Russian forces have applied relentless pressure, slowly gaining ground in a campaign marked by high casualties and little strategic maneuvering. The town, once home to more than 12,000 residents and centered around a concrete and clay production plant, has been reduced to rubble.
Military analyst Emil Kastehelmi, co-founder of the Finland-based Black Bird Group, said that while Russia may have made significant advances in Chasiv Yar, pockets of Ukrainian resistance likely persist. He noted that the town’s geography — including forests, waterways, and varying elevations — allowed Ukrainian forces to mount a year-long defense that stalled Russian gains to a crawl.
“If the fall of the city is confirmed, it would open the way for Russia to move closer to Kostiantynivka,” Kastehelmi said. “But this progress is still expected to be slow. The terrain and logistics continue to favor the defenders.”
The capture would also bring Russian drone teams nearer to key Ukrainian supply routes, potentially complicating logistics and forcing redeployments, according to analysts.
Ukrainian military commanders have maintained that their forces are holding firm. In his nightly address, Zelenskyy said units around Chasiv Yar continue to “defend our positions,” and highlighted ongoing heavy fighting in nearby Pokrovsk, where he said Russia’s most intense assaults were now focused.
He added that sabotage and reconnaissance efforts by Russian units are being countered daily in Donetsk, Sumy, and Kharkiv regions.
The drawn-out fight for Chasiv Yar, like the earlier siege of Bakhmut, has come to symbolize the brutal nature of the conflict’s eastern front, where territorial gains are measured in meters and paid for in blood. Talks to end the war — now entering its fourth year — remain stalled. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has threatened to impose new sanctions on Russia and its global trade partners starting next week in response to continued military escalation.
Chasiv Yar’s reported fall, though disputed, may offer Russia a morale boost in its campaign, while underscoring the continued strain on Ukraine’s defensive lines in the east.
