The commander of the Ukrainian unit transferred to Avdiivka to strengthen the city’s defenses says that it is “hell on earth” here, and the general who controls this part of the front says that there is “fierce fighting” in the city, which has become a territory. the new epicenter of hostilities in Ukraine, AFP and Reuters report.

Andriy Biletskyi, the commander of the 3rd Airborne Assault Brigade, which was recently sent to Avdiivka to stabilize the situation, in a message published on his Telegram channel, says that his soldiers are forced to “wage a 360-degree battle with new brigades, which the enemy is mobilizing.”

“Avdiyivka is hell on earth,” he emphasized, adding that in the battles for this city in the east of the Donetsk region, “our fighters show unprecedented heroism.”

Biletskyi described the situation in the city as “volatile” and “volatile” as the Russians appear to be throwing new forces here in an attempt to capture Avdiivka since last October.

The commander of the troops in the east of the country, Brigadier General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi assured that “our troops are using all available forces and means to oppose the enemy”, adding that “fierce battles” are taking place in the city.

The Ukrainian army redeployed part of its units from Avdiivka

AFP reminds that in this city in Donbas, where the fighting is causing chaos, the position of the Ukrainian defenders is becoming increasingly shaky in front of the Russian troops, who have been on the offensive since October. The fall of Avdiivka would be an important symbolic victory for Russia and the first major victory since the capture of Bakhmut late last spring.

A day ago, the Ukrainian army said that in some areas of the city of Avdiyivka it is conducting maneuvers to move troops to “more advantageous positions”, and in other places it is trying to repel Russian troops.

The 3rd amphibious assault brigade, which is currently stationed in Avdiivka, took part in the battle for Bakhmut, and then in the offensive in eastern Ukraine last summer, being formed from battle-hardened fighters.

“The enemy continues active rotation of his troops (in the Avdiyivka region) and deploys new forces and means in the city. The situation at the time the brigade was called in was extremely critical,” the brigade said in a Telegram message on Thursday.

Russian troops surrounded the city from three sides, and Ukrainian troops had only a few supply routes there.

One of the largest factories in Ukraine could be used as the last redoubt for the defense of the city

The situation became critical after Russian troops managed to cut the supply line between the city and the coke plant, which is located north of Avdiivka and was used as a supply point. Some military analysts believe that Ukrainian forces may retreat here to use the plant as a last redoubt.

The plant occupies a huge area and was the largest producer of coke in Ukraine before the beginning of the Russian invasion. Its owner, Metinvest company Rinata Akhmetova, declared at the end of last year that most of the plant was destroyed and it was impossible to restore it.

Several fighters told Kyiv Independent correspondents last week that there are no fortified positions on the front line near Avdiyivka, which, in their opinion, further threatens the lives of those tasked with defending the city.

Many infantrymen and other soldiers deployed on the front line of defense complained that their positions – often just holes in the ground – seemed ill-prepared for a major Russian offensive on the Avdiivka line. While the Russian troops are constantly attacking, the Ukrainians do not have time to consolidate their positions. According to the soldiers interviewed by the journalists, the second line of defense a few kilometers behind the front is still under construction.

As a result of the fighting, the city of Avdiivka was destroyed

Like Bakhmut and other cities in Ukraine, Avdiyivka was almost completely destroyed after the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022, as it was also the site of hostilities during the Donbas war, started by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine shortly after the illegal annexation of Crimea 9 years ago.

Mayor Vitalii Barabas said last week that only 941 residents remain in the city that was once home to 32,000 people.

Russian forces also tried unsuccessfully to capture Avdiivka last spring, but resumed their efforts in October after the failure of Kyiv’s summer offensive.

Even John Kirby, the White House National Security Council spokesman, has now weighed in on the fate of the city, warning on Thursday that it is in danger of falling.

“Unfortunately, according to the information received from the Ukrainians, the situation is critical, Russia’s pressure on Ukrainian positions continues day by day. Avdiyivka risks falling under the control of Russia,” he said.

The Russian army has drawn about 50,000 soldiers to the Avdiivka front, Ukrainians claim. At the end of December, President Volodymyr Zelenskyi visited Avdiivka to encourage local defenders.

“Thanks to these soldiers, our country endures. From those who, despite all the difficulties, protect our country,” he emphasized at the time.

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