Russian forces have captured a neighborhood in Chasiv Yar, Donetsk Oblast, after a three-month campaign reportedly costing them nearly 100,000 troops, according to Forbes. The offensive on this Ukrainian stronghold west of Bakhmut began on April 4. This week, Russian forces seized the town’s most vulnerable area, the Canal (or Novyi) district.

The Russian military has reportedly lost 99,000 troops since the start of the Chasiv Yar campaign. Although not all casualties occurred in and around Chasiv Yar, a significant portion did.

Ukrainian spokesperson Nazar Voloshyn confirmed a tactical retreat of a few blocks westward across the Siversky Donets-Donbas Canal. This move was prompted by extensive Russian bombardment that destroyed buildings in the Canal district. The new defensive positions west of the canal offer strategic advantages, forcing Russian forces to cross the waterway before directly engaging Ukrainian lines.

Forbes suggests the pattern of slow, costly Russian advances is likely to continue. For each captured town or neighborhood, Russia suffers massive losses in personnel and equipment, while inflicting comparatively lighter casualties on Ukrainian forces.

The intensity of fighting has increased around Chasiv Yar and nearby areas. Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, noted on 2 July that combat had been particularly fierce near Toretsk, about 25 kilometers south of Chasiv Yar.

Read more:

• Ukrainian troops withdraw from Chasiv Yar’s easternmost Canal neighborhood
• Battle for Chasiv Yar: analysts report Russian progress, Ukrainian army disputes
• ISW: Russia may intend to leverage ongoing Toretsk push for advances in Chasiv Yar or Avdiivka areas
• Fierce fighting near Siverskyi Donets-Donbas canal as Russian forces assault Chasiv Yar