Chasov Yar is liberated: the history of the battles for the city and why it is called the "key to Donbass"

The Russian armed forces eliminated the largest group of the Ukrainian army during the fighting for Chasov Yar in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR). The Russian Defense Ministry announced the transfer of the settlement under the control of the Russian army on July 31. Read more about how the battles for Chasy Yar went, how important this city is and why the Western media call it the "key to Donbass" in the Izvestia article.

Why is Chasov Yar important for the Ukrainian Armed Forces

Chasov Yar is located in the northern part of the DPR, about 60 km from Donetsk and about 10 km west of Artemovsk (the Ukrainian name is Bakhmut). It connects Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions of Ukraine. Until the summer of 2025, it was part of the Kiev-controlled part of Donbass.

Due to its location on a hill, the city serves as an important defense hub for the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). There is an industrial zone and a railway station, thanks to which Ukrainian troops have been transporting equipment, weapons and manpower for a long time.

After the outbreak of hostilities in 2022, the city served as the operational rear for the AFU grouping in Artemovsk. Several defensive lines were erected around it. Repair bases for the restoration of damaged armored vehicles also worked there.

When the fighting for Chasov Yar began

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation announced the beginning of fighting in the Chasova Yar area in the spring of 2024. In the city itself, they began in the summer of the same year.

In early June, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that the artillery of the Ivanovo Guards Airborne Troops (Airborne Forces), providing support to assault units during the liberation of the city, destroyed an observation post and a machine-gun crew of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in a multi-storey house Chasova Yara.

The main transport hub of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: the strategic importance of the capture of Chasova Yara

The Russian Armed Forces took control of the northeastern region of Donbass

Also in June, it was reported that to increase pressure on the enemy, the Russian military began to apply new developments. Special equipment helped to stop enemy vehicles, shoot down drones, and storm targets even more effectively at night.

Who released Chasov Yar

Chasov Yar was taken by the Russian army on the last day of July 2025 after the offensive actions of the Southern Group of Forces in the Kramatorsk-Druzhkovsky direction. As a result, the largest group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the history of the special military operation (SVO) was destroyed. These are thousands of enemy personnel, TASS reports, citing a source in law enforcement agencies.

The breakthrough of the Russian troops opened the way for an offensive on the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration and Konstantinovka, the main supply point for Ukrainian troops on most of the eastern front.

In addition, the capture of the city will not only cut off the supply routes of the militant group in this direction, but also hit the concentration of Ukrainian forces in settlements such as Druzhovka, Slavyansk and Kramatorsk with long-range artillery.

The significance of the liberation of Chasova Yara

The liberation of Chasova Yar was a major advance for Russia on the line of contact. Dmitry Solonnikov, director of the Institute of Modern State Development, a political scientist, in an interview with Izvestia, called this event not only a great victory, but also the most important diplomatic move that Russia will use further.

The political scientist noted that the name of the settlement has long been known, and the liberation of the city will have a great response from both Russian military personnel and those who monitor the progress of our soldiers on the front line.

The battles for Chasov Yar also resonated in the West. Shortly before the liberation of the city, The New York Times called it "the key to Donbass." The publication pointed out that in the event of the capture of Chasovoy Yar, the Russian Armed Forces (AF) will receive commanding heights that will allow them to directly attack the main agglomeration of cities in the Donetsk region, which are still under Kiev's control. Experts interviewed by the NYT also said that the fall of the city would be Russia's most significant achievement since 2022.

Western analysts see the reason for Russia's success as Moscow using its tactical advantage in aviation, while Ukraine's air defenses have noticeably depleted and American aid to Kiev has slowed.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.