REVISES HEADLINE, DECK; ADDS UKRAINIAN DENIAL; EDITS THROUGHOUT
By Elena Teslova and Burc Eruygur
MOSCOW/ISTANBUL (AA) - The Russian Defense Ministry claimed Thursday that its forces took control of the strategic city of Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region.
It said the city went under Russian control "as a result of offensive operations by the Southern group of forces in the Kramatorsk-Druzhkivka direction.”
Chasiv Yar is about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) west of Bakhmut, also in the Donetsk region, which the Russian Defense Ministry reported capturing in May 2023.
The city sits on elevated ground and is referred to as the "key to Donbas,” as its capture would allow Russian forces to advance toward other cities in Donetsk, including Kramatorsk, which has been serving as the administrative center of the eastern Ukrainian region since Donetsk city's capture in 2014.
Fighting for control of Chasiv Yar has continued for nearly 16 months.
Viktor Trehubov, a Ukrainian military spokesman, denied Russia's claims in remarks to the RBC-Ukraine news agency.
"The situation in Chasiv Yar is the same as in recent months. The Russians are simply lying again precisely so that it spreads even in the form of denials," he said.
Independent verification of the claims is difficult due to the war, now in its fourth year.