Russian shelling in the front-line town of Chasiv Yar on Aug. 31 killed five people, said Donetsk Oblast Governor Vadym Filashkin.
Shells struck a home and a high-rise building. Five men, aged 24-38, were killed as a result of the attack.
After capturing Avdiivka in February, Russian forces shifted their focus toward Chasiv Yar, an elevated town that potentially creates an opening for further Russian advances into Donetsk Oblast.
The town has been the scene of heavy fighting and has been repeatedly attacked by Russian forces since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
Before the full-scale invasion, Chasiv Yar was home to about 12,000 people. By April 2024, around 700 people remained.
In his message about the attack, Filashkin reiterated that civilians should evacuate the town.
Andrii Polukhin, a spokesperson for Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade, said on Aug. 29 that the town has been "destroyed" in the fighting.
Asami Terajima
