Why aren't only heights important in battle for Chasiv Yar, but also Kanal district?

According to Defense Express, OSINT analyst Tatarigami_UA and his Frontelligence Insight team posted an interesting thread on Twitter analyzing the specifics of the conditions in which the Ukrainian troops are defending Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region.

In particular, as Tatarigami_UA explains, the geography of Chasiv Yar makes it a good defensive line in terms of blocking the road for Russian forces to key cities in Donbas. 

Photo: Defense Express

The road from Bakhmut to Chasiv Yar passes through a water canal with several bridges over it. This canal creates a good natural barrier for the enemy in the eastern part of the city, so with proper resource allocation, Chasiv Yar could become a significant obstacle for the Russian army.

If, in case of a negative development, Ukraine's troops have to retreat from the eastern part of Chasiv Yar, the destruction of these bridges could significantly change the further advance of the Russian soldiers, who would then have to abandon the large-scale use of equipment and rely more on manpower instead.

Photo: Defense Express

However, it is worth mentioning that the Russian army used units of the 98th Airborne Division and the 11th Air Assault Brigade near Chasiv Yar, which indicates the importance of this area for the enemy. Although today's Russian paratroopers resemble "classical" infantry, they are more mobile than other branches of the army.

In addition, the Russians can also rely on their superiority in artillery and tactical aviation, whose main weapon is now guided bombs with Unified Gliding and Correction modules. These factors make it difficult for the Ukrainian army to conduct defense.

Photo: Defense Express

Moreover, the Russian invaders are actively looking for weaknesses in the Ukrainian defense to try to break through to the Kanal (Canal) district.

For example, on April 4, 2024, the Russian troops launched a large-scale assault just to bypass the dominant heights to the Kanal; and although this attack was successfully repelled by the soldiers of the 67th Brigade, the analysis by the Frontelligence Insight team showed that the Russian column found a dirt road to pass through, which did not have Ukrainian minefields.

Photo: Defense Express

Another problem that the researchers pointed out is that the Russian forces near Chasiv Yar regularly use even a unit of Su-25 attack aircraft for air support, which means that the Ukrainian troops may have a problem with short-range air defense.

All of the above factors demonstrate that the defense of Chasiv Yar cannot rely solely on the terrain and the heroism of Ukrainian soldiers. Ukraine needs more ammunition and air defense equipment, in particular from Western countries, as well as more manpower and more fortifications on its side.