Ukrainian Army Commander Oleksandr Sersky confirmed that his forces still maintain control of the town of Chasiv Yar in the east of Ukraine, despite Russian attempts to breach their defenses. Sersky stated on Saturday that the enemy’s efforts to storm the town had been unsuccessful.
The heavily fortified town of Chasiv Yar, located west of the Russian-occupied city of Bakhmut, has a pre-war population of 12,200 people and is considered an important starting point for Ukrainian forces. Any rapid Russian advance on Chasiv Yar would be a significant setback for Kiev.
In a separate incident, Governor Ivan Fedorov reported that Russia fired five missiles at the city of Zaporizhya in the south of the country on Friday. This attack resulted in at least four deaths, 20 injuries, and damage to multiple residential buildings and industrial facilities. Video footage from Reuters showed journalists rushing to aid their injured colleagues on the ground before emergency teams arrived. Fedorov described the attacks, noting that two missile strikes occurred followed by two more attacks on the same location while rescuers and police were on site.
The Ukrainian Air Force issued a warning about ballistic missiles in the region, which Russia partly controls. Russia has been using ballistic missiles more frequently, making them difficult to intercept. Additionally, a new raid on Kharkiv, the second largest Ukrainian city, early Saturday resulted in the deaths of six civilians and injuries to ten others.
Russian forces are gradually advancing in eastern Ukraine with Avdiivka being seized in February but Ukraine is facing challenges due to a shortage of artillery shells with US aid requiring Congressional approval
