The spokesperson for Ukraine's Khortytsia grouping of forces, Nazar Voloshyn, reported these developments to Ukrainian television.

Chasiv Yar, located west of the Russian-controlled Donetsk city of Bakhmut, has been described as a "fortress city" by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a U.S. think tank. The ISW believes that capturing Chasiv Yar would provide Russia with a vantage point to launch attacks on other key defensive settlements of Ukraine.

One of these settlements is Kostiantynivka, and if Russia were to gain control of Chasiv Yar, it could potentially cut off this important location, weakening Ukraine's defense in the Donetsk region. The ISW has emphasized the strategic value of Chasiv Yar and the potential implications of its capture.

Ukraine's army chief, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, has noted that Moscow aims to "break through our defenses west of Bakhmut," seize control of Chasiv Yar, and gain a foothold for further advancements towards the city of Kramatorsk in the northwest.

It has been reported that Russian and Ukrainian forces continued to engage in fights near Chasiv Yar on May 4, but there have been no confirmed changes to the front line, according to the ISW. The Russian Defense Ministry has been reached out to for a comment on these reports.

Russia has focused its main efforts on the eastern front lines, particularly west of Bakhmut and west of Avdiivka, which it captured in February 2024. In the previous 24 hours, Ukraine's military successfully repelled a dozen attacks near Bakhmut, including clashes around the villages of Klishchiivka, southwest of Bakhmut, and Ivanivske, west of Bakhmut and east of Chasiv Yar.

Russia's Defense Ministry has claimed that its troops launched attacks on Ukrainian positions near Bakhmut, including the village of Klishchiivka. In addition, Russian forces have stated that they have "completely liberated" the village of Ocheretyne, northwest of Russian-held Avdiivka. This contradicts reports from late April by Ukraine's armed forces, which stated that Russia had gained a foothold in Ocheretyne and that heavy fighting was underway.

According to the latest assessment by the ISW, Russian forces have made notable tactical advances near Arkhanhelske, northwest of Avdiivka, between Friday and Saturday. The ISW also highlighted earlier reports from Russian media claiming that Ukraine had withdrawn from the village, and geolocated footage showed Ukrainian troops pulling back from the north of the village on Friday.

The situation in the region remains tense as Russia's deployment of a large number of soldiers near Chasiv Yar raises concerns about a potential escalation of conflict. The international community continues to closely monitor the developments in this volatile situation.