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Russian Forces Launch Largest Offensive in Months, Attacking Ukrainian Positions in Avdiyivka
Russian forces have launched a large offensive in the eastern Donetsk region, targeting Ukrainian positions in and around the town of Avdiyivka. This marks Moscow’s biggest military campaign in months, as tensions between Russia and Ukraine continue to escalate.
On October 15, the General Staff of Ukraine’s military reported that its forces had repelled 15 Russian attacks near Avdiyivka, as well as in Tonenke and Pervomaiske in the Donetsk region. “The adversary keeps trying to break through Ukrainian defenses, to no success,” the General Staff stated on Facebook.
The Russian offensive on Avdiyivka, which began on October 10, involves a force of approximately 2,000 to 3,000 men. Their objective is to encircle Ukrainian troops in the area. Vitaliy Barabash, head of Avdiyivka’s military administration, revealed that Russian forces had been ordered to capture the entire Donetsk region by December 31. Avdiyivka holds significant strategic importance, as its capture would facilitate Russia’s advancement towards Pokrovsk and other key locations.
However, the White House National Security Council expressed confidence that Ukrainian troops would successfully repel the Russian attack. According to spokesperson John Kirby, Russia is deploying poorly trained troops in the offensive, relying on a tactic known as “human waves.” Ukrainian military officials anticipated the attack on Avdiyivka and bolstered their defenses accordingly.
The Institute for the Study of War observed that Russian military bloggers have complained about the offensive being stalled by mines, suggesting that Ukraine had indeed anticipated the assault. Furthermore, Russia has employed an unusually large number of armored vehicles in the offensive.
Avdiyivka, which is home to a major coke factory used in steel production, had a population of 32,000 before the invasion. However, due to the ongoing Russian offensive, only around 1,600 people remain. Evacuation efforts are currently impossible, and the city has been heavily shelled, resulting in casualties and destruction.
In addition to the attacks in Avdiyivka, other regions in Ukraine have also come under Russian shelling. A village in the Izyum district of the Kharkiv region was targeted, resulting in the death of a 57-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman. Ukrainian forces were successful in repelling ten Russian attacks in the Kupyansk district. Furthermore, over the weekend, more than 100 shells bombarded the southern Kherson region, resulting in two deaths and three injuries.
Russian President Vladimir Putin described Russian forces as being in a state of “active defense” in the areas of Kupyansk, Zaporizhzhya, and Avdiyivka.
Despite the relentless assaults, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy affirmed that forces defending Avdiyivka were holding their ground. Ukrainian military spokeswoman Natalya Humenyuk noted that Russian forces in Ukraine’s south have resorted to nighttime airstrikes targeting residential areas, civilian infrastructure, and agricultural enterprises. Ukrainian counterattacks are currently concentrated along the Dnieper River.
While both Russia and Ukraine deny targeting civilians, the United Nations reported that 9,806 civilians have been killed and 17,962 injured as a result of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022. The conflict shows no signs of slowing down, with the recent offensive in Avdiyivka intensifying the ongoing hostilities.
