Governor warns that if Russia takes over a Frontline town, it will Advance into the heart of Ukraine

A Ukrainian governor has issued a warning: if Russian forces are successful in seizing the frontline town of Chasiv Yar and the larger Donbas region, they will advance into the centre of Ukraine.

The governor of the Donetsk area, Vadym Filashkin, stated to Sky News that his troops would not permit this to occur and would use “every possible means, including impossible means,” to drive the Russian invaders out.

However, he claimed that every day, between 1,500 and 2,500 artillery rounds and airstrikes were fired in the region by Vladimir Putin’s forces, who were trying to breach the defensive lines in eastern Ukraine.

When asked what would happen to Ukraine and the rest of the world if Russia took over all of the Donbas, Mr. Filashkin replied, “The enemy will move onwards.” The enemy will get further into our nation’s centre if, God forbid, this occurs.

“We will not allow this and we will do everything possible – and impossible – to hold the enemy here in the Donetsk region and restore the borders to those of 1991.”

He was alluding to the moment when Ukraine separated from the Soviet Union at that time.

The governor stated that since Russia began its full-scale invasion in February 2022, there have been over 2,500 civilian deaths and nearly 5,000 injuries in his territory alone.

“Words to describe all the anger that we feel have probably not been invented yet,” he stated.

Speaking behind a massive Ukrainian flag flying over a park in Kramatorsk, the region’s principal administrative centre and strategic military bastion, was Mr. Filashkin.

Should Russian forces take Chasiv Yar, Kramatorsk and other eastern cities like Konstantinivka and Slovyansk will be vulnerable to even heavier shelling. Due to the town’s advantageous location on a hill, more ground would be within Russian artillery’s firing range.

Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region. Picture: Ukrainian Armed Forces, 22nd Brigade

The settlement is mostly in ruins.

In advance of Russia’s annual Victory Day celebrations on May 9, which honour the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, Kyiv had stated that Moscow intended to seize Chasiv Yar.

Even though the majority of the town is in ruins and all but a few hundred citizens have long since left, Ukrainian military are still in charge.

A small Ukrainian drone team from the 22nd Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces observed the smoke rising from Russian airstrikes over the town on Wednesday, hidden in a blooming treeline a few miles from the edge of Chasiv Yar.

The unit commander, who went by “Steve” on his callsign, claimed that over the previous three to four months, Russian attacks had been getting stronger every week as Moscow attempted to exploit a lag in Western weaponry replenishing Ukrainian positions.

The commander of the unit, callsign “Steve”

“As harsh as you can envision”

When asked how the defending Ukrainian soldiers were faring, he responded, “It’s very intense.” It’s really cruel. Yes. as vicious as you can think. and even more.”

With an American accent and nearly flawless English, he stated that Ukraine required a lot more precision-guided weaponry from its allies in the West.

Given that we are aware of the Russians’ whereabouts, that would drastically alter the course of the battle. Like, exactly. All we need is a weapon to take them out. That’s all,” he continued.

Russian mortar team is pursued by a drone unit.

His crew gets a call out of the blue to send up their reconnaissance drone, named Leleka (Ukrainian for “stork”), to look for a Russian mortar team east of Chasiv Yar, inside Russian-held territory.

The aircraft is manually launched from a massive rubber catapult in a field, like a gigantic grey model aeroplane.

It can reach well behind enemy lines because it can fly at a height of around 1,000 metres and has a range of about 20 miles, assuming jamming devices do not interfere with its operation.

After it takes off, Steve and his two coworkers sit in a makeshift cabin, with one person operating the drone and the other two watching a live feed of the camera in case they spot any hostile forces.

Information provision is our primary duty. That means we are flying behind the Russians. We observe their actions over there. Do they have any forces gathered? The assembly? Where is their artillery located? “Howitzers?” exclaimed the drone commander.

“We spot them, we pass the information to the higher command and they find the means to demolish them.”

After promptly locating what they think to be the mortar position, two Russian soldiers, and ammunition, the squad sends the information back to their headquarters and directs the drone back in to the land.

“You are trying to spot somebody who’s hiding,” Steve replied. You know, it’s kind of like a kid’s game. However, everything is serious here because of the guns.”