Chasiv Yar, Like Pokrovsk, Toretsk, Is Holding As 9 Month Russian Attack Stalled

Weren't the Russians supposed to take Chasiv Yar 9 months ago, precipitating disaster for Ukraine?

Hmm, I wonder why we aren't reading more about that Kremlin failure (in addition to all the others, that is...) JL

Phillips O'Brien reports in his substack:

Chasiv Yar reveals the terrible hypocrisy in war reporting and analysis that we have seen. in the Spring of 2024—Chasiv Yar was strategically important and on the verge of being captured by Russia. Well, guess what, here we are 9 months later, and Ukraine still controls Chasiv Yar. And the media is strangely silent. That the Ukrainians have held here and exacted such a toll on the Russians is an indication that they are in better shape than Trump and Vance are saying. The Ukrainians are holding and it's the Russians who are suffering casualties at a rate that is damaging their operations.

I thought I would refer to one situation to show just how the situation is far better today than the analytical community and press was assuming in early 2024. They is is the situation at Chasiv Yar.

Chasiv Yar reveals the terrible hypocrisy in war reporting and analysis that we have seen. Here was the reporting in the Spring of 2024—Chasiv Yar was strategically important and on the verge of being captured by Russia (which would be a Ukrainian disaster). The following Washington Post story was prophesying doom.

Putin is riding high after a March election decried by Western governments as flawed that delivered him at least six more years in power and the battlefield advances in Ukraine, and he is brimming with confidence ahead of his inauguration on Tuesday and the Victory Day parade two days after.

With Ukraine still hampered by weapons and personnel shortages, Russian forces are besieging the strategically important town of Chasiv Yar, an elevated location that could open the way to further advances.

Well, guess what, here we are 9 months later, and Ukraine still controls a great deal of Chasiv Yar (and of course the media is strangely silent about the town). Here was the map on the day that story was published in May 2024.

Since then Russian forces have advanced fewer than 3 miles (again at massive cost). Here is the map today and I put a ruler from Chasiv Yar to Bakhmut (from which the Ukrainians withdrew in March 2023). In two years the Russians have advanced fewer than 10 miles in this front.

That the Ukrainians have held here well and exacted such a toll on the Russians is an indication that they are in better shape than certainly Trump and Vance are saying-and the media let on in 2024. Are they in great shape?No. They need weapons and support—but the Ukrainians are holding well for now and its the Russians who are suffering casualties at a rate that is damaging their operations.

Ukraine can win the war—as always the question is whether we want it to. Sadly, in this case Europe without the USA is the only “we” in town.