Russia claims capture of Chasiv Yar after 16-month battle

Russia said it has seized the eastern Ukrainian town of Chasiv Yar after 16 months of heavy fighting, which could potentially pave the way for further advances toward key cities in the Donetsk region.

Russia's Defence Ministry in a brief statement said its forces had "liberated" the town. A Ukrainian military spokesperson dismissed the claim as "propaganda," but video footage shared by a Russian airborne unit, and later verified by Reuters, appeared to show Russian troops raising both a paratrooper banner and the national flag over ruins in the town. 

Meanwhile, Russian forces are also reportedly intensifying attacks near Pokrovsk, a city about 60 kilometres southwest of Chasiv Yar. With ceasefire talks stalled, U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that new sanctions targeting Russia and its trade partners could be introduced as early as next week.

Military analyst Emil Kastehelmi, co-founder of the Finland-based Black Bird Group, said the fall of Chasiv Yar, if confirmed, could open the way for a broader Russian advance that could lay the groundwork for further advances toward other strategic cities in eastern Ukraine.

"The terrain of Chasiv Yar has favoured the defender," he told Reuters. "Forested areas, waterways, hills and a varied building stock have enabled Ukraine to conduct a defensive operation lasting over a year, in which the Russians have made minimal monthly progress."

Kastehalmi said: "The fall of the city to the enemy is nevertheless a challenging situation for Ukraine, as it will bring the Russians closer to Kostiantynivka, which Russia is now approaching from several directions."

Chasiv Yar, positioned west of Bakhmut, which Russia captured in 2023, has served as a frontline barrier protecting a cluster of major eastern cities, including Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. 

Fighting for Chasiv Yar escalated in April last year, when Russian airborne units pushed into the town's eastern outskirts. Russian media later claimed their forces had issued surrender demands to Ukrainian troops inside, warning of airstrikes if they refused. 

Once home to more than 12,000 people, Chasiv Yar is now largely destroyed.

Its pre-war economy centred on construction materials, including reinforced concrete and clay bricks, an industrial base now left in ruins by months of artillery fire. 

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