Military analyst Vitaly Kiselev has shed light on why Russian forces needed significant time to secure the city of Chasiv Yar. According to him, Ukrainian troops had transformed the area into a vast subterranean stronghold.

Speaking to RIA Novosti, Kiselev explained that Ukrainian forces had dug extensive underground passageways connecting residential buildings and apartment blocks. These concealed networks served as both shelter and mobility corridors, complicating any effort to detect and dismantle them.

He noted that before storming the city, Russian units first had to locate these hidden positions and then neutralize them-an effort that, in his words, severely hindered and slowed down assault operations.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense officially reported the complete capture of Chasiv Yar on July 31. The city, positioned on elevated terrain, holds strategic value. Its control opens up a clear path for Russian troops to push toward key Ukrainian strongholds in the region, including the cities of Kostyantynivka and the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk urban cluster-among the last major defense hubs held by Ukrainian forces in Donbas.