A serviceman walks down a street, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, near the frontline town of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk region, Ukraine. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Russia said on Wednesday its forces had captured a district in the key hilltop town of Chasiv Yar near Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, where Moscow has been pressing for months.

The town, in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, has strategic importance and its capture could allow Russia to mount further offensives across the region.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said in a daily briefing that its troops had “liberated the ‘Novy’ district of Chasiv Yar”, a neighbourhood on the eastern edge of the town.

Russia’s capture of the area was also reported by Ukraine’s DeepState Telegram channel, which has links to Kyiv’s Army.

It said the district had been flattened by Russian bombardments, and that withdrawing was “a logical, albeit difficult decision.”

It was unclear if Russia was claiming that its forces had crossed a canal that runs through the eastern part of the town, a natural barrier that has aided Ukraine’s defence.

Chasiv Yar lies around 10 km west of Bakhmut, which Russian forces captured last year after months of artillery strikes and urban combat destroyed the city.

Ukrainian forces face a “difficult” situation around the eastern city of Chasiv Yar as Russia focuses its offensive there, a Ukrainian army official said Monday.

Moscow has made a number of gains on the frontline in recent months, pressing their advantage as Kyiv struggles with shortages of vital munitions from its Western allies.

“The situation with regard to Chasiv Yar has been difficult and tense, not for the first day,” said Oleg Kalashnikov, press officer for Ukraine’s 26th Artillery Brigade.

“Today it is the main focus for the enemy in its assault operations. It is trying to push through our defenses in order to reach Chasiv Yar,” he said.

He also said Russia had increased its use of powerful guided bombs in the area, and was “dropping them on populated areas and on our fortified positions.”

Ukraine has been forced onto the defensive in the past few months as it struggles with ammunition shortages and a hold up to a $60 billion aid package from Washington.

Its ground forces commander warned last week Russia was building a group of over 100,000 soldiers in advance of what may be a major offensive this summer.