Photo: screenshot from Associated Press video
The Associated Press obtained exclusive drone video on Monday of what the destroyed city of Chasov Yar in the Donetsk region looks like, which Russian troops are constantly attacking and trying to capture.
Source: Associated Press
Literally: “The footage shows that Chasov Yar, located among green fields and forests, has turned into an apocalyptic picture. The destruction is reminiscent of the cities of Bakhmut and Avdiivka, which Ukraine surrendered after months of shelling and huge losses for both sides.”
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Details: There is not a single intact building left in the city, houses and municipal offices are charred, and the city that was once home to 12,000 residents is now almost deserted.
The video from the drone clearly shows burned high-rise buildings and the Borisoglebsky Church, located in the Vostochny or Kanal microdistrict – this is a part of the city separated from the center by the Seversky Donets-Donbass canal and located closest to Bakhmut.
The Associated Press notes that capturing the city would give Russia control of a hill from which it could attack other cities that form the basis of Ukraine’s eastern defense. “This would set the stage for a potentially broader Russian offensive, which Ukrainian officials say could begin as early as this month,” the agency wrote.
What preceded: On April 14, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Alexander Syrsky said that Russia was concentrating efforts to break through the defenses west of Bakhmut, capture the settlement of Chasov Yar and create conditions for further advance to the Kramatorsk agglomeration. He noted that the top Russian military leadership set the task for its troops to capture Chasov Yar by May 9.
