Position height: how the liberation of Chasova Yar in the DPR changes the situation at the front

The successful capture of Chasova Yar was a significant step by the Russian army towards the final liberation of Donbass. The city is located at heights from which roads open to Konstantinovka and the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration, the last stronghold of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in this region. Chasov Yar was turned by the Ukrainian Armed Forces into a powerful fortified area, which had been fiercely fought for since last spring, experts remind. Now, the defense capability of the militants of the Kiev regime has been significantly undermined, and in the foreseeable future, the situation on the line of contact may change again in favor of Russia.

A particularly important point of defense

Chasov Yar is located at a commanding height, which made it a particularly important point in the enemy's defense, Lieutenant Colonel Roman Shkurlatov, chairman of the Officers of Russia public organization, told Izvestia.

"From Chasov Yar, you can view Artemovsk (Bakhmut), operate on it with artillery and unmanned aerial vehicles — using this, the enemy once caused us a lot of trouble," the expert explained. — The districts west of the city are also under the control of the Boyar Heights. From here you can clearly see the vast territories in the direction of Konstantinovka, Druzhkovka and Kramatorsk. The city was ready for defense, and it was not easy to approach the Chapel Yard. The battles for it went on for more than a year, the enemy clung to the city until the last opportunity.

An important milestone in the assault was the crossing of the Seversky Donets-Donbass canal, which runs within the city, Roman Shkurlatov noted.

— After that, we managed to start fighting in the central part of the city, and eventually reach its western outskirts. The liberation of Chasova Yar is a great victory, we have taken a large and well—fortified settlement. In addition, we have gained a commanding height, which promises us a lot of operational and tactical benefits in this area," he explained.

Since the beginning of full-scale hostilities in 2022, Chasov Yar has become the operational rear for the AFU grouping in Artemovsk (Bakhmut). The city was home to the most important warehouses, deployment points for AFU units, hospitals, and repair facilities that repaired damaged armored and other military equipment.

Long-range artillery and HIMARS MLRS were constantly operating from the Chas Yar area, including in peaceful towns deep in the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics.

In the spring of 2024, Russian units reached the suburbs of Chasova Yar. In the summer of the same year, the Novy district east of the Seversky Donets—Donbass canal was occupied. The fighting for him lasted for several weeks. In early autumn, Kalinovka was liberated, which made it possible to cover the city from the northeast.

On July 4, 2025, units of the southern group of forces continued to advance into the depths of the enemy's defenses and liberated the Predtechino settlement in the DPR. This village is located southwest of Chasova Yar and east of Konstantinovka.

The standard of military skill

As reported by the Russian Defense Ministry on Thursday, as a result of offensive actions by the Southern Group of troops in the Kramatorsk-Druzhkovsky direction, the town of Chasov Yar was liberated.

The head of the department, Andrei Belousov, sent congratulations to the command and personnel of the 98th Guards Airborne Svir Red Banner Order of Kutuzov and Alexander Nevsky division.

"The winged Infantry will remain the standard of military skill and will continue to be faithful to the Motherland," the minister's telegram says.

"Now we can state it officially with absolute certainty! Flags of the Russian Federation and Airborne troops in all neighborhoods of the city! Chasov Yar is a city of great operational and strategic importance. This is a commanding height that opens the way to the largest agglomeration in the DPR, which remains under the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Slavyansk—Kramatorsk, as well as to Konstantinovka," the Telegram channel of the 98th Guards Airborne Division reports.

According to the military department, during the liberation of Chasova Yar, paratroopers from Ivanovo, Kostroma and Yaroslavl marched more than 20 kilometers under continuous artillery fire and enemy drones. During this time, more than 4,200 buildings and structures were cleared, about 50 Ukrainian servicemen were captured, over 30 field artillery guns and 70 UAV crews were destroyed. 65 civilians were evacuated from the city.

The road to the liberation of Donbass

After the liberation of Chas Yara by the Russian army, the road to Konstantinovka, Druzhkovka and Kramatorsk opens, Roman Shkurlatov noted.

"Moreover, by conducting operations from the Chasova Yara and Ocheretino areas, we can enter the rear of the entire Kramatorsk—Slavyansk agglomeration," he noted. — At the same time, we will already have an advantage in using UAVs and long-range weapons. Such a maneuver will make it possible to avoid a frontal assault on large settlements, to bypass well-equipped fortifications where they had been preparing to meet us for years. They were waiting for us from the east, and the defensive lines there were being built with all care. Of course, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are building a defensive line in the possible direction of our advance, but these are field, less substantial fortifications.

Roman Shkurlatov assessed the complexity of the upcoming battle for the Kramatorsk-Slavyansk agglomeration.

"There are many large industrial enterprises with large capital bomb shelters and basements where the enemy knows how to build defenses," he noted. — If the Russian units manage to bypass them and squeeze out the AFU units under the threat of encirclement, it will be a great achievement.

The loss of Chasov Yar will undermine the defense capability of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and make it possible to move on, opening a direct path to the liberation of Konstantinovka, Roman Kovalenko, chairman of the executive committee of the international movement "The Other Ukraine", told Izvestia.

— Then we will be able to take into the operational environment those settlements that are located after Konstantinovka. They have been fighting so long and so fiercely for this, one might say, Chas Yar ledge, because it really has quite a serious tactical significance," he said.

Chasov Yar is an important point on the way to the complete liberation of Donbass, military expert Viktor Litovkin agrees.

"It is of strategic importance for Ukrainian units," he said. — This is an important transport hub — the crossroads of roads and railways, on which the stability of the adjacent sections of the front depends. For these reasons, reinforcements were always sent here, and some of the most trained and well-armed Ukrainian units operated here. The city was held until the last possible moment, and the fact that we liberated it is an important moment in all the fighting for Donbass.

Viktor Litovkin also noted that after the liberation of Chasova Yar, our army opened the way to the Kramatorsk-Slavyansk agglomeration, the last defensive line in Donbass, and the battles that are taking place here will have a serious impact on the development of events on the line of contact.