A top Ukrainian commander has claimed that Russia’s biggest offensive in months – involving tanks, thousands of soldiers and armoured vehicles in an attack on the eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka – is failing, as he admitted Kyiv’s own attempts to advance in the south were proving “difficult”.

Russian forces have pummelled the town over the past week, a key bulge surrounded by Russian-held territory on the eastern Donbas front.

It is one of the largest assaults by Moscow since last year’s full-scale invasion and comes at a time when Ukraine’s counteroffensive is moving slowly, and the world is focused on the imminent Israeli ground invasion of Gaza.

  • Kualk@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    4
    arrow-down
    60
    ·
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    No, it is the 1st time.

    Russia has accomplished its tactical goal of taking important local high point and applying pressure on the city itself.

    The location is heavily reinforced with concrete after 7 years or so of fortification. But Russians have taken the place.

    This article is just an attempt at damage control by claiming goals Russians did not set yet.

    Russia doesn’t have to take the city. Supply lines are targetable by artillery. It is a perfect setup to bleed Ukrainian side if they want to keep the city.

    Ukraine is set to loose either way: if they want to keep the city, they will loose lots of people. If they abandon, it’s a black eye.

    Given what Zelensky did last winter, he will keep the city and send lots of people into meat grinder half of which will die trying to reach the city.