Avdiivka: A Shift in Eastern Ukraine's Battlefield
The mayor of Avdiivka, a city in eastern Ukraine, notices a reduction in hostilities, attributing it to "hefty casualties" among Russian troops and inclement weather. While this information hasn't been independently confirmed by AFP, Russian forces persistently bombard the city's coking plant round the clock. Barabash from Avdiivka explains, "The Russians are running out of pep."
Located in the Donetsk region, Avdiivka is a significant battleground between Ukrainian and Russian troops. Russian units have established positions to the east, north, and south of the largely demolished city, which is connected to Ukrainian countryside only by a single asphalt road. On the other hand, the Ukrainian army vigorously counters the Russian assaults.
Since 2014, Russian forces and pro-Russian separatists have seized substantial areas in the Donetsk region. Moscow declared annexation of these territories without complete military dominance last year. However, conflict continues in areas like the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson. Here, two individuals lost their lives, seven others were injured in Russian attacks on Sunday, according to Ukrainian sources.
An elderly man was killed in Sadove, a village by the Dnipro River, and a female resident was killed in a Kherson city attack. The Dnipro River serves as a boundary between Russian-occupied and Ukrainian-controlled territories in the Kherson region.
In addition, Ukrainian military alleges unprovoked Russian attacks on several Ukrainian regions using Iranian Shahed combat drones. The Ukrainian army intercepted ten drones and a Russian Ch-59 missile missed its target.
Last winter, Russia bombarded Ukraine's energy infrastructure intensely, prompting Ukraine to expand its air defenses in anticipation of this winter. In response to weekend's shelling, one civilian was killed, and four others injured in eastern Ukraine, according to Ukrainian reports. The mayor of Donetsk region announced this via the Telegram app.
Russian Governor of Belgorod border area, Vyacheslav Gladkov, accuses Ukraine of bombarding Russian villages with drones and artillery. He claimed no serious damages or casualties happened.
Further Reading
- Despite the reduction in fighting around Avdiivka, Russian forces continue to attack the city's coking plant incessantly.
- Even though Avdiivka is destroyed, it still remains a major site of conflict between Ukrainian and Russian troops in Donetsk, Ukraine.
- In response to Avdiivka's bombardment, Ukrainian troops in the city of Cherson had previously announced they were resisting Russian attacks.
- Intense fighting in eastern Ukraine resulted in significant losses for Russian troops, as reported by Avdiivka's mayor.
- Since 2014, pro-Russian separatists have controlled substantial territories in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, but Moscow does not have complete military control.
- Consequently, Russian attacks killed two persons in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson on Sunday, according to Ukrainian reports.
- Furthermore, Russian shelling in the city of Chassiv Yar in the Donetsk region resulted in one civilian death and four injuries on Saturday, according to Ukrainian Interior Ministry on their Telegram app.
