Russia has made its most considerable territorial advance since taking Bakhmut in May by asserting complete control of the city of Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine.
To avoid being encircled, Ukrainian forces withdrew from the city, while Russian troops conducted numerous assaults westward to capture further ground on the battlefield. Russia now controls the whole region around the huge Ukrainian city of Donetsk, which it captured in 2014 with proxy troops, thanks to the annexation of Avdiivka.
Almost everyone who lived in Avdiivka before the conflict fled the city, and the Ukrainian army fought fiercely in the area during one of the worst engagements of the war. The town may be taken over by Russia, according to US President Joe Biden’s warnings, because of the weaponry shortages made worse by months of Republican resistance in Congress to a new US financing package for the Ukrainian military.
Vladimir Putin, president of Russia, hailed Russian forces on the “important victory” and announced efforts to cut off Ukrainian units that have exited the town and entrenched at the Avdiivka Coke and Chemical Plant. He intends to clear the city of militants completely.
The fall of Avdiivka is Russia’s most outstanding significant achievement since conquering Bakhmut in May 2023. It also happens to be almost two years to the day that President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine, which sparked a full-scale conflict.
According to Russia’s Ministry of Defense, Russian forces have advanced 8.6 kilometers (621 miles) along that stretch of the 1,000-kilometer (621-mile) front line. This comes after a devastating urban combat that has decimated the town’s population. As a result of severe personnel shortages and ammunition shortages, resisting Russian troops has become more difficult for Ukraine, and the loss of Avdiivka is a significant setback in this regard. Conversely, the capture of Avdiivka would undoubtedly bolster Russian morale in the run-up to Putin’s re-election next month, a race he will almost certainly win.
Donetsk, the regional capital, has been under Russian and pro-Russian control for the last four years, and this move is seen as proof of Moscow’s determination to maintain control over the area.
