MOSCOW, July 10. /TASS/. The liberation of the city of Chasov Yar in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), where fighting is currently underway, will give Russian troops some breathing room to operate, regional head Denis Pushilin said.
"Chasov Yar is important for us, just as for the enemy. The reason is that it is the key to a wider area. It will enable us to think and make decisions about which direction to move in: from Druzhkovka to Slavyansk. In between, there are Konstantinovka and Kramatorsk," he told the Soloviev Live TV channel.
The Pokrovsk area is another important one, Pushilin added. Ukrainian General Staff and army officials have repeatedly emphasized that Kiev was in a difficult situation in the area.
On July 4, Ukrainian troops left the Canal District in Chasov Yar, one of the key logistics hubs of the Ukrainian armed forces. A DPR law enforcement official told TASS on July 3 that Ukrainian forces had retreated from their positions in the east of Chasov Yar, focusing on reinforcing defenses in the city’s west. The Russian Defense Ministry, in turn, announced the full liberation of the city’s Novy District.