Russia stepped up attacks in the east of Ukraine, advancing toward the strategically important city of Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk area as Kyiv rushed troops to bolster defenses on the new northeastern front near Kharkiv.
Attacks intensified in all areas including in the directions of Kramatorsk and Kharkiv in the week ended May 19, Ukrainian military spokesman Dmytro Lykhoviy said on television. Moscow’s forces “marginally advanced” near Chasiv Yar during assaults using tanks and infantry-fighting vehicles, the Institute for the Study of War said on May 18 and 19.
Russian forces “intensified their effort to seize the operationally significant town of Chasiv Yar,” the Institute said. Moscow is seeking to exploit “greater theater-wide pressure” on Kyiv caused by the Kharkiv offensive coupled with ongoing operations throughout eastern Ukraine.
‘Challenging Moment’
Ukraine’s military forces are dealing with a “challenging moment” and are engaged in a “hard fight,” U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters at the Pentagon Monday after a virtual meeting with counterparts supporting Ukraine.
Austin and General C.Q. Brown, the top uniformed officer, sidestepped questions about whether Ukraine should be allowed to use U.S.-provided weapons to fire into Russia, saying only that the priority should be the “close fight” along the front lines. Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he’s “confident” Ukraine has not used the long-range Army Tactical Missile system, known as ATACMS, to strike into Russia.
Russia is targeting Chasiv Yar — a key hilltop settlement that gives Ukraine control of the roads near the major city of Kramatorsk — and increased attacks in the area in recent months. On May 10, the Kremlin opened a new front, piercing the border north of Kharkiv, forcing Ukraine to divert soldiers to reinforce the area. Ukraine hasn’t disclosed where the reinforcements came from.
Geolocated footage published on May 18 indicated that Russian forces advanced within and southeast of a canal that crosses the easternmost part of Chasiv Yar, the Institute for the Study of War said.
Ukrainian forces in Chasiv Yar repelled attacks on May 17 and May 18 and destroyed a Russian column of vehicles, according to the General Staff and Deep State, a conflict map and information service maintained in cooperation with the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.
___
© 2024 Bloomberg L.P
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
