Heavy fighting has continued near eastern Ukraine, with Russian forces claiming the capture of the strategic town of Chasov Yar in Donetsk, while both sides have reported intensified clashes near the key city of Krasnoarmeysk, referred to by Ukraine as Pokrovsk.
The Russian Defense Ministry on Thursday announced that troops from Battlegroup South had taken control of Chasov Yar following an offensive in the Kramatorsk-Druzhkovka area of Donetsk.
The town had served as a strategic stronghold and key logistical hub for Ukrainian forces in the Donetsk region.
According to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a total of 193 clashes took place along the frontline over the past 24 hours, with Russian troops launching multiple assaults in the Kramatorsk direction, including Chasov Yar.
Analysts believe that capturing Chasov Yar could give Russian forces a vantage point over several major Ukrainian strongholds in the Donetsk region, including Kostiantynivka, Sloviansk, and Kramatorsk.
Fighting has also intensified near Krasnoarmeysk in Donetsk, as both sides have reported recent combat activities in the area.
The Russian side on Wednesday and Thursday released combat footage showing operations near Krasnoarmeysk, with drones and artillery targeting Ukrainian positions.
Ukraine's General Staff confirmed ongoing fighting in the area, stating that Ukrainian forces were repelling Russian assaults.
As of 22:00 on Wednesday, 159 combat engagements had taken place across the frontline, with the Pokrovsk direction seeing particularly intense pressure, according to the Ukrainian side.
A Ukrainian military official told local media that Pokrovsk had not been encircled by Russian forces, which still faced significant obstacles in reaching that objective.
Russia troops seize key town in Donetsk amid intensified clashes with Ukraine
