The weekly offensives of the Russian occupiers are approaching the city of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk region. Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrsky, said that the Kremlin is considering the possibility of capturing this settlement near Bakhmut before the "sacred" date for the Russian Federation - May 9.
The Telegraph turned to military experts to find out what the occupiers' chances are of accomplishing this task and what strategic importance Chasiv Yar has for the Ukrainian army.
An intensive offensive continues in Donetsk region. According to DeepState analysts, on Saturday, April 13, the occupation of the village of Bohdanivka on the approaches to Chasivoy Yar was recorded. 
Information about the occupation is denied by the Ministry of Defense. According to them, heavy fighting continues in the village of Bohdanivka, and although the enemy's assault groups have reached the northern outskirts of the village, the control over it remains with the Defense Forces of Ukraine.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, confirms the aggravation of the situation on the Eastern Front, noting the activation of the Russian Federation in conducting offensive operations. The aggressor is attacking Ukrainian positions in the Lymansky and Bakhmut directions, and is also trying to break through the defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Pokrovsky direction with the help of tanks and infantry fighting vehicles.
"Another problematic direction is the area west of Bakhmut, where Russian troops are concentrating to break through the defense and advance to the Siverskyi Donets-Donbas channel, and then to Chasovoy Yar and Kramatorsk. The heroic defense of our military brigades, which are almost embedded in the ground, prevents the enemy's daily attacks," said the Commander-in-Chief.
Warm and dry weather favors enemy action, and the enemy's efforts increase, occasionally resulting in tactical successes. Therefore, Syrskyi believes that the threat to Chasovoy Yar remains extremely relevant.
The city of Chasiv Yar is of great importance for Ukrainian troops, as well as significant chances of the occupiers to capture it. According to military analyst Dmytro Snegiryov, control over this strategic point, located on commanding heights, will make it possible to keep the city of Kostiantynivka and other settlements under fire control.
However, according to the expert, there are currently no prerequisites for the withdrawal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from Chasivoy Yar.
"Chasiv Yar is one of the key defense points. In fact, this is an important part of the front line, which is controlled by us. It will be very difficult for the enemy to advance quickly due to the dense urban development and industrial cities such as Kostyantynivka, Kramatorsk and Slovyansk, which are located nearby," Snegiryov explains.
He also adds that currently the situation has not yet reached the stage of street battles, similar to those that lasted in the city of Bakhmut for nine months. The cities for which Russian troops plan to fight are larger than Bakhmut and Avdiivka. The occupiers also recognize the preparation of Ukrainian troops for the upcoming offensive. Therefore, Snegiryov notes, the existing control over the strategic heights suggests that retreat is unlikely.
An officer of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Myroslav Gai, believes that although the situation in the Bakhmut direction is difficult, it is a mistake to consider it critical.
According to the military, for the Russian occupiers, the capture of Chasovoy Yar is primarily political, not military. Therefore, they will use the usual capture scheme, which consists in the complete destruction of the settlement.
“Taking the city will be difficult, but their conditional advantage is that they don't have to keep it. They will simply destroy it with airstrikes, after which there will be nothing to defend there. Look at how they "liberated" Maryinka and Avdiivka - these cities no longer exist," explains Guy.
According to him, this is a tried-and-tested scheme of capturing the city "in Russian", which involves its complete destruction and establishing control over the ruins. This takes a lot of time, resources and leads to heavy losses among personnel, but for the domestic consumer it creates a political image of victory: the city is captured by Russian troops.
The effectiveness of the Chasovoy Yar defense will directly depend on providing the Armed Forces of Ukraine with appropriate weapons. According to analyst Dmytro Snegiryov, there is currently an acute shortage of mortar and artillery shells.
If earlier the Ukrainian military fired 2.5 thousand shots for every 10 thousand "launches" by the Russian side, today this ratio is not in favor of Ukraine, because it is already 1 to 6.
"Projectiles are currently our priority. This applies to both Soviet 152mm and NATO 155mm shells. If it is possible to solve this issue, the situation will reach a new level. Air defense means of both short and medium range are also needed to work on the front line, as well as to cover infrastructure facilities. Means of defeat are also necessary, both barrel and reactive artillery. If these needs are met, we can achieve parity with the enemy," the analyst notes.
Despite the development of events at the front, it is important not to panic. While the Armed Forces of Ukraine keep the defense "in the teeth", politicians are looking for ways to get the necessary support in the countries of the European Union.
