Donetsk Region, Ukraine (Agencies) – July 31, 2025 — Russian forces have seized Chasov Yar, a heavily fortified Ukrainian position in Donetsk, following prolonged combat operations, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed on Thursday. The town’s capture is regarded as a significant milestone in Moscow’s campaign to secure eastern Ukraine.
Located atop high ground and intersected by the Seversky Donets–Donbass Canal, Chasov Yar served as a key artillery and logistics hub for Kyiv’s troops. Its fall reportedly opens Russian access to the regional cities of Kramatorsk and Slavyansk, considered Ukraine’s final major strongholds in Donbass.
According to TASS, Russian forces eliminated what may have been “the largest Ukrainian force” encountered during the conflict—allegedly numbering in the thousands. Igor Kimakovsky, adviser to the head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, claimed that the collapse of Chasov Yar sets the stage for Ukrainian defensive setbacks in nearby Konstantinovka, Druzhkovka, and Slavyansk.
Hostilities around the city intensified in April 2024 after Russia’s capture of Artyomovsk (Bakhmut), roughly 10 kilometers east. The rugged terrain favored Ukrainian defenders, leading to weeks of entrenched street fighting before Russian troops pushed through.
While Ukrainian officials have yet to formally acknowledge the loss, independent military tracking sources, including DeepState Telegram, show the town largely under Russian control. Analysts suggest its liberation marks a turning point in the battle for Donbass, with Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk) now also under pressure.