Russian forces may have gained "a foothold" around the village of Bohdanivka, three kilometers northeast of Chasiv Yar, but Moscow's claims from April 21 that it had been taken completely remain unconfirmed.
An analysis from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) on April 21 said there had been no visual confirmation that the village was fully under Russian control and that some pro-Kremlin sources were reporting Ukrainian forces still held ground to the north and northwest.
In an interview with Suspline media on April 21, a Ukrainian National Guard officer said Russian troops were "advancing very successfully in the direction of Chasiv Yar."
"It must be understood that the outskirts of the city were practically destroyed a year ago, there are no hard fortifications," the officer, Volodymyr Cherniak, said, adding: "Now, after the Russian military managed to gain a foothold in the Bohdanivka area, they pulled all possible resources there, and have dug in well."
The Kyiv Independent cannot independently verify any of the claims and contacted Ukraine's military but has yet to receive a response.
In an interview with NBC News published on April 21, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia will attempt to capture the town of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Oblast, just west of the Russian-occupied Bakhmut, by May 9.
On May 9, Russia celebrates Victory Day, a heavily militarized holiday marking the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany during World War II.
Zelensky's comments align with those made by Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi on April 14, amid a deteriorating situation in the region as Ukrainian ammunition and supplies run short.
"I visited the region recently. I talked to the soldiers. The soldiers say that they lack equipment," Zelensky said.
"They need to fight Russian reconnaissance drones, which essentially guide the artillery. And we need artillery shells. I hope we will be able to stay, and the weapons will come on time, and we will repel the enemy, and then we'll break the plans of the Russian Federation."
Chasiv Yar, a nearly-emptied and heavily damaged town located around 10 kilometers (six miles) west of Bakhmut, appears to be Russia's next goal.
Russia ramped up its offensive on Chasiv Yar after capturing Avdiivka, which lies about 50 kilometers (31 miles) southward, and its tempo of advance declined in early March.
Russia sees Chasiv Yar as a crucial milestone for further advances toward Kostiantynivka, Kramatorsk, and Sloviansk, the Ukrainian military said.
About 800 people remain in Chasiv Yar, according to local authorities.
On April 5, Moscow's proxies claimed that Russian troops had entered Chasiv Yar's suburbs, but Ukraine's military later refuted that statement.
Martin Fornusek
