Russia and Ukraine have reported fierce battles in strategic regions of Donetsk, with Russia claiming the capture of the strategic town of Chasov Yar with continuous attacks near the key city of Krasnoarmeysk, referred to by Ukraine as Pokrovsk, while Ukraine have denied the Russian claims, saying that its forces have repelled Russian attacks in the two areas, Reuters reports.
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported on Friday that a total of 160 clashes took place along the frontlines over the past 24 hours. In the direction of Pokrovsk, Ukrainian forces thwarted over 40 attacks by Russian troops on multiple settlements.
According to Ukrainian sources, a small Russian commando unit attempted to launch an attack on the outskirts of Pokrovsk, but Ukrainian forces repelled the assault. The Russian forces also shelled several areas of Pokrovsk, including the city center.
Russia has yet to respond to such claims by Ukraine
The Russian news agency TASS, citing information from Russian security authorities, reported on July 24 that battles had erupted in the southern and southwestern suburbs of Krasnoarmeysk. Since then, the Russian military has released a series of combat videos in the direction of Krasnoarmeysk.
Krasnoarmeysk, or Pokrovsk, had a population of 61,000 before the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. It serves as a center for Ukraine's coal industry and a logistics hub for the Ukrainian army, with multiple railways and highways passing through.
Reuters reported on July 28, citing military experts, that although the importance of Krasnoarmeysk as a military supply center for Ukraine has diminished, if Ukrainian forces were to lose control of the area, it could potentially open the door for further Russian advances in the region.
Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced on Thursday that the Russian forces had captured the strategic location of Chasov Yar in Donetsk, but Ukraine denied this claim. The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported on Friday that Russian troops continued to launch multiple attacks on Chasov Yar and surrounding areas.
Chasov Yar is located to the west of the key town of Artyomovsk, referred to as Bakhmut by Ukraine, in Donetsk. Previously, there were analyses suggesting that if Russian forces were to capture Chasov Yar, they could gain a strategic high ground from the Donetsk Ridge, threatening Ukraine's most important fortified cities in the Donetsk Region -- Kostiantynivka, Sloviansk, and Kramatorsk.
