Russian troops may push from north of Avdiivka in the Donetsk region to join up with their forces to encircle a nearby strategic settlement in which Vladimir Putin wants to soon capture. That assessment by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) outlines how Russian troops are closing in on Chasiv Yar, which if taken would allow them to command higher ground and target cities further west. In April, Ukraine's army chief, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, said Russia wanted to capture Chasiv Yar by Victory Day on May 9, marking Moscow's role in defeating Nazi Germany. Members of the...