Chasiv Yar

Ukraine said Thursday its forces had withdrawn from a district in the key eastern town of Chasiv Yar, where Russian forces have recently claimed several advances.

The fall of the small hilltop town is a worrying prospect for Ukraine because it would likely accelerate Russian advances towards large civilian hubs in the wider eastern Donetsk region.

Russia has redoubled its offensive in Donbas over the past month, making significant advances as Ukraine awaits a boost in Western arms supplies.

Plumes of black smoke could be seen on Sunday near Ocheretyne, Russia's latest conquest since the capture of the strategic city of Avdiivka in February.

Russia said Sunday its forces had gained territory near the key battleground town of Chasiv Yar in east Ukraine, highlighting the pressure facing Kiev as it gears up to receive $61 billion in new U.S. aid.

Ukraine meanwhile reported renewed Russian strikes against its civilians.

The Russian army has honed in on the strategic town of Chasiv Yar in Ukraine, setting a deadline of May 9 for its capture, as reported by Reuters. The announcement, attributed to Ukrainian Armed Forces' Commander-in-Chief Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi, underscores the escalating tensions gripping the eastern front, where Moscow's onslaught intensifies.

Tensions escalate in central Ukraine as debris from a downed Russian drone inflicts injuries on 12 individuals, including a child, according to reports from the military administration of the Dnipropetrovsk region. The aftermath of the incident leaves more than 30 homes damaged, adding to the toll of destruction wrought by the ongoing conflict.

The town of Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region faces an imminent threat due to a critical shortage of air defense systems, warns the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). As Russian occupiers intensify their bombing of frontline areas, the vulnerability of Chasiv Yar to capture looms large.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has issued a stark warning, asserting that Ukraine faces the risk of losing its ongoing conflict with Russia if crucial US aid remains blocked in Congress. Zelensky's remarks, reported by AFP, underscore the urgent need for support amidst escalating tensions and military aggression from Russia.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that Ukraine will lose its war against Russia if the U.S. Congress does not approve a major military aid package, as Russian forces heighten their pressure on a frontline city.

The Ukraine military acknowledged that the fighting around the frontline city of Chasiv Yar was "difficult" and "tense" but insisted its forces were resisting.

Day 385 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:

Ukraine pledged Monday to bolster its defences in frontline Bakhmut, after reports that Kiev was withdrawing from the city that has become a symbolic prize in the war.

But Ukrainian forces fighting to retain control of the salt-mining town told AFP its capture by Russia was inevitable and that some units had already begun to pull back.