Ukraine has asserted that Russian forces have escalated their efforts to seize the eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka, a focal point of conflict since 2014. The town’s chief official stated on Monday (Nov 27) that the Russian army was attempting a multi-directional advance after weeks of ongoing fighting.
In 2014, Russian-financed separatists briefly captured Avdiivka, seizing substantial portions of eastern Ukraine. However, fortifications were subsequently erected around the town. Since mid-October, Russian troops have been conducting both land and air assaults on Avdiivka in their pursuit of advancing through eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region.
Vitaliy Barabash, the head of Avdiivka’s military administration, provided the latest information following reports last week indicating that Ukrainian forces had made some progress in halting and pushing back the Russian offensive. Barabash informed Espreso TV, stating, “Things in the Avdiivka sector have become even tougher. The intensity of clashes has been increasing for some time.”
He added, “The Russians have opened up two more sectors from which they have begun making assaults – in the direction of Donetsk … and in the so-called industrial zone. The enemy is attempting to storm the city from all directions.”
The region has borne the brunt of continuous conflict, with Ukrainian officials asserting that not a single building remains intact after months of battles in the town. They also highlighted that the population has dwindled to fewer than 1,500 residents from 32,000 before the war. The major fighting has concentrated on the industrial zone and the coking plant.
In earlier reports, Barabash mentioned that Ukrainian forces had, in recent days, successfully pushed back Russian forces near Stepove, a village northwest of Avdiivka, confining them near a rail line.
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