In their assault on Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Oblast, Russia is replicating tactics from the Avdiivka offensive – heavy aerial bombardment by Su-25 and Su-34 aircraft dropping 20-30 munitions daily, according to British intelligence.

“This is a concerted aerial bombardment and is a tactic repeated from the Avdiivka campaign,” the report states.

Earlier, Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief General Oleksandr Syrskyi stated Russian forces aim to capture the high ground town by 9 May Victory Day, viewing it as a step toward seizing Kramatorsk. However, their ground advances have been slow.

“Chasiv Yar town is heavily defended and situated on high ground. Russian ground forces have made only slow progress in the area,” the report notes.

Analysts from the Ukrainian OSINT project DeepState have reported Russian troop advances in Chasiv Yar, to the east of the town, and in Bohdanivka to the northeast.

A week ago, the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) also reported in its assessment that Russian soldiers had reached the outermost houses in the eastern part of the town.

However, the Ukrainian military command insists that while the situation in Chasiv Yar is complex, it remains under control, and there are no Russian troops within the town itself.

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