Russian army aims to take Chasiv Yar into operational encirclement - Khortytsia Operational and Strategic Group

He said this on the air of the United News telethon.

According to him, Russia is currently focusing its efforts on breaking through the defences west of Bakhmut, to access the Siverskyi Donets-Donbas canal. Their goal is to capture Chasiv Yar and create conditions for further advancement to the Kramatorsk agglomeration.

“Russian enemy is trying to encircle Chasiv Yar," explained the Khortytsia Joint Forces Operation Centre spokesman, adding that over the past seven days, the Russian forces have not had any success in this area.

"They are trying to take Ivanivske village and the outskirts of Bohdanivka at any cost to get to Chasiv Yar. They are actively storming these two settlements to take Chasiv Yar in their pincers," Voloshyn said.

At the same time, the spokesman noted, Russia is unsuccessfully storming Andriivka and Klishchiivka, trying to level the defence line and the line of contact.

"An increase in the number of enemy troops was spotted in the vicinity of Klishchiivka," he noted.

Voloshyn added that most attacks in the Chasiv Yar sector took place near Bilohorivka over the last day.

"The enemy is regrouping there, bringing in ammunition and trying to clear our mined areas. However, fails to do so. Our soldiers are holding back the enemy," the spokesman said, noting that Russia currently has more shells, is outnumbered, and spares neither its weapons nor its equipment.

• On April 26, ISW analysts said that the Russian occupation army was continuing its attempts to occupy Chasiv Yar. The capture of the town will allow the Russian Federation to launch further offensive operations against the towns that form a significant defensive belt in the Donetsk region.