Deputy Head of Ukraine's Defence Intelligence believes that loss of Chasiv Yar is only a matter of time

In an interview with The Economist, Vadym Skibitskyi, Deputy Head of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, has said that the elevated stronghold in Chasiv Yar is a matter of concern for the country, as its loss would open the way to the last major towns in Donetsk Oblast, and its capture is only a matter of time.

Source: The Economist

Details: Skibitskyi said that it is likely that the occupation of Chasiv Yar is only a matter of time before the town falls like Avdiivka, which was bombed to the ground by the Russians in February.

Quote: "Not today or tomorrow, of course, but all depending on our reserves and supplies."

More details: He predicts that Russia will first and foremost go ahead with its plan to "liberate" all of the eastern districts of Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts. This task has been unchanged since 2022.

Skibitskyi says Russia has been ordered to "take something" before Moscow's pompous Victory Day celebrations on 9 May, or, failing that, before Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Beijing a week later. The speed and success of the advance will determine when and where the Russians strike next.

He stressed that our problem is very simple: Ukraine has no weapons: "They always knew April and May would be a difficult time for us."

The Economist writes that Russia has already scored a tactical success in the southwest in the village of Ocheretyne, where a recent Ukrainian troop rotation failed. Russian troops managed to break through the first line of defence and create an important 25 square kilometre bridgehead. Ukraine has a way to go before the situation is stabilised, while Russia is throwing "everything" it has at it to achieve greater success.

Skibitskyi said that the Russian army is no longer the arrogant organisation it was in 2022 and now operates as a "single body, with a clear plan, and under a single command".

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