by Paul Serran
The battle for Avdiivka has been going on since 2014. But since last October, the Russian push for the ‘key to Donetsk’ has greatly intensified, and the siege is coming to a boil now, with combat inside the urban area developing into street-by-street fights.
When I started to write about this battle, and using the sieges of Mariupol and Bakhmut as templates, I predicted a few things: 1 – The conquest of the city would be long and bloody (check); 2 – During all the time, MSM would stress how badly Russians were failing (check); and finally 3 – Once the settlement is taken, MSM will insist that the heavily fortified strategic city is unimportant, a ‘worthless pile of ruble’ (check).
We are watching the continuous unraveling of the Ukrainian war effort because of the lack of life-line funding from the US, lack of artillery shells, lack of manpower, as well as low morale, and the damaging internal strife between President Zelensky and General Zaluzhny.
With all that, the conquest of Avdiivka is seemingly accelerating by the day, with Russian troops on the cusp of dividing the city in two and isolating the southern troops from the main supply route.
Reuters reported:
“Large numbers of Russian troops are attacking Avdiivka in east Ukraine from all directions, and the situation is increasingly difficult for Ukrainian troops defending the town, its mayor said on Thursday.”
Russian forces took the initiative and tried to cut supply lines and encircle Ukrainian forces in the heavily fortified town.
“‘The enemy is pressuring from all directions. They are storming with very numerous forces’, Avdiivka mayor Vitaliy Barabash said in televised comments, describing the situation as ‘very difficult and hot.’”
Avdiivka has, no doubt, sustained heavy damage. Only 941 residents remain out of the 32,000 people it once housed.
“Avdiivka’s fall would be hailed by Russian authorities as a hard-fought victory before an election next month in which President Vladimir Putin widely expected to be re-elected.”
Russian Telegram channel Slavyangrad had a few reports about the powerful breakthrough in which the Russian Army is dividing Avdiivka and has advanced to less than 700m from the Ukrainian Armed Forces ‘Road of Life,’ which is the main supply line.
