Russian forces have continued to attack Ukrainian positions around the town of Avdiyivka in the eastern Donetsk region in Moscow’s largest offensive in months.
The General Staff of Ukraine’s military said on October 15 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,” it said on Facebook.
Live Briefing: Russia’s Invasion Of Ukraine
RFE/RL’s Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia’s full-scale invasion, Kyiv’s counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL’s coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here.
A Russian force of between 2,000 and 3,000 men on October 10 launched an offensive on Avdiyivka, located 15 kilometers northwest of Donetsk city, in an attempt to encircle Ukrainan troops.
Vitaliy Barabash, head of Avdiyivka’s military administration, said Russian forces had been ordered to capture all of the Donesk region by December 31.
“They understand: if they take the height of Avdiyivka, then it will be easier for them to reach Pokrovsk and so on. Therefore, Avdiyivka is extremely important for them,” Barabash said.
Pokrovsk lies 54 kilometers northwest from Avdiyivka, near the Donetsk region’s border with the Dnipropetrovsk region. Russia last year claimed to have annexed the Donetsk region along with three other Ukrainian territories even though it does not fully control them.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on October 13 that he was confident that Ukrainian troops could repel the Russian attack.
He said it appeared that Russia was throwing poorly trained troops into the battles around Avdiyivka, a tactic commonly referred to as human waves.
Ukrainian military officials said they anticipated the attack on the city and had beefed up defenses.
The Institute for the Study of War noted on…
Read the full article here
