The Russians are advancing to Avdeevka, trying to place Chasov Yar in an operational environment

On the front in Ukraine, the advance of Russian forces is observed in the Donetsk region, in particular northwest of Avdeyevka. The Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) note the intentions of the Russian troops to bypass Chasov Yar and create conditions for an operational encirclement. That’s according to the latest report by the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW), broadcast by RBC-Ukraine.

On April 26, positional battles along the Kupyansk-Svatovo-Kremennaya line continued, but there were no confirmed changes to the front line in this area.

Positional battles also continue near Kislivka and Berestovo, near Stelmakhovka, near Druzhelyuvka and Makeevka, near Terniv, Zarechnoe, Torskoe, near Serebryan Forestry and near Belogorovka.

A Russian military correspondent claimed that Russian troops had advanced near Terni and Yampolivka, but ISW analysts found no visual evidence for this claim.

Positional battles continued on April 26 in the direction of Seversk (northeast of Bakhmut), but there were no confirmed changes in the front line in this section.

The report states that positional fighting also continued in the Verkhnekamenskoye region, in Nikolaevka, and in the Vemka and Spornoe regions.

On April 26, the troops of the Russian Federation continued their advance in the Chasov Yar area, but there were no confirmed changes in the front line. The fighting took place northeast of Chasov Yar in the Bogdanovka area, in the area of ​​the Novi and Kanal microdistricts, in the Ivanivskoe area, in the area of ​​the Stupka-Golubovsky reserve near Chasov Yar and in the Klescheevka area, near Shumov.

Lt. Col. Nazar Voloshin, spokesman for the Khortytsa ASU troop group, stated on April 26 that Russian troops attacked Bogdanovka, Ivanivskoe, Klescheevka and Andreevka (southeast of Chasov Yar) in order to bypass Chasov Yar and create conditions for operational surrounding and capturing the settlement.

He also stated that Russia is concentrating its efforts on breaking through the defense of the Ukrainian Armed Forces east of Chasov Yar, crossing the Seversky Donets Donbas channel, capturing Chasov Yar and creating conditions for further advances towards the Kramatorsk agglomeration (Slavyansk – Kramatorsk – Druzhkovka – Konstantinovka).

According to Voloshin, on April 25, Russian troops concentrated a little more personnel near Klescheevka and attacked intensively near Belaya Gora (southeast of Chasov Yar). He added that they are regrouping near Belaya Gora, stockpiling ammunition and actively clearing the front line.

Russian Federation forces have recently achieved additional tactical successes northwest of Avdeyevka and are reported to have advanced further in the area as of April 26.

Geolocation footage released on April 26 shows that Russian forces have recently made minor advances in the center of Solovivka (northwest of Avdeyevka) and the center of Semenovka (west of Avdeyevka).

Russian military correspondents claim that Russian troops appear to have advanced north of Ocheretino (northwest of Avdeyevka) and up to a kilometer west of the settlement on road O-0544 (Ocheretino – Grodovka), north, west and south of Novobakhmutovka (northwest of Avdeyevka) and north from Novokalinovo (northwest of Avdeevka).

Russian sources claim that Russian forces captured Berdychi (northwest of Avdeevka) and advanced into the fields northwest of the settlement after the VSU withdrew from Berdychi.

Russian military correspondents claimed that Russian troops had captured Semenovka, although Russian sources had previously said that they had captured the village. At the same time, ISW has not observed any visual confirmation of any of these Russian claims.

According to Ukrainian officer Voloshin, the Ukrainian Armed Forces currently control two-thirds of Ocheretino and are preventing Russian forces from advancing further into the area.

On 25 and 26 April, some Russian military correspondents claimed that Ukrainian forces had withdrawn from Ocheretino to Arkhangelskoye (northeast of Ocheretino and southwest of Avdeyevka), although others claimed that the VSU was holding positions in the northwestern part of Ocheretino.

A Russian blogger claims that assault groups of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have temporarily reached the Arkhangelskoye area.

Fighting also continues northwest of Avdeevka in the Keramik region, west of Avdeevka in the Umansk region, and southwest of Avdeevka in the Netalovo and Nevelskoye regions.