Russian war of aggression
Russian offensive against Ukrainian front-line town of Avdiivka
A Ukrainian soldier on duty near the embattled city of Avdiivka. photo
© LIBKOS/AP/dpa
Russia’s military is massively attacking the embattled city of Avdiivka in the Donetsk region.
In the industrial city of Avidiyivka in eastern Ukraine, Ukrainian troops are doing their best to defend themselves against sudden Russian attacks Offensive. The Ukrainian General Staff said on Wednesday evening that 13 Russian attacks had been repelled near Avidivka and 10 more near the village of Stepove, just to the north.
The military administration chief of Avdiivka, Vitaly Barabash, called the Russian attacks the heaviest since the invasion began in February 2022. Around 60 tanks were deployed on Tuesday. Russian infantry groups are currently attacking with air support but without tank technology, he told the Donbass Realiji radio station. On Wednesday alone, 23 rockets were fired into the city. Russian sources reported land gains north of Avdiivka. The information cannot initially be verified independently.
Located just a few kilometers from Donetsk, Avdiivka has been a frontline town since 2014, when fighting began in the east between Moscow-led separatists and the Ukrainian army. When Russia began its full-scale invasion in 2022, the city, which was dominated by a large coking plant, still had over 30,000 residents. Several hundred are said to still be holding out there despite the shelling. According to military experts, the Russian attack is intended to take pressure off other sectors of the front and tie down Ukrainian forces.