"Avdiivka has no military value, but...": Captain First Rank Lupakov explained why AFU still holds the city

The Russian occupation army continues to concentrate a huge amount of manpower and equipment in the Avdiivka direction. In turn, Ukrainian troops are holding the line and preventing the enemy from seizing new positions.

The enemy has almost wiped Avdiivka off the map, and it has no military value. Instead, the Ukrainian defense in this section of the frontline is diverting significant occupation forces. This was stated in an exclusive interview with OBOZ.UA by the First Deputy Chairman of the Union of Officers of Ukraine, Captain 1st rank Yevhen Lupakov.

According to him, historically, Russia has traditionally launched offensives on certain dates or with a certain idea in mind. A year ago, Putin's invaders had a fixed idea to capture Bakhmut, but it did not bring the enemy any benefit in military terms.

"The next idea is to capture Avdiivka. There are only stones left there, but they are throwing a huge number of personnel there. Therefore, the problem of the occupier is that there is not enough trained 'meat' for all directions. Can the Southern Defense Forces take advantage of this? Definitely," the officer said.

He emphasized that as for Bakhmut, the Ukrainian military was also offered to withdraw to prepared positions, but the Armed Forces had certain ambitions. In this regard, Lupakov urged not to interfere with the military as they know what is appropriate and what is not better.

"In any case, every day, meter by meter, we are winning back our land. Yes, we used to win back hundreds of kilometers, but now we are talking about tens and hundreds of meters. In any case, all the military assistance provided by our allies is beneficial and accelerates our progress. Avdiivka as such no longer has any military value, but it does distract significant occupation forces in that direction. Yes, there are a lot of them, but this number is not infinite," Lupakov said.

Avdiivka remains a hotspot of combat operations and is a priority for the enemy in the eastern sector. However, the occupiers cannot accumulate the necessary amount of equipment in this area, which would allow them to encircle our troops.

Earlier, a new video from Avdiivka, Donetsk region, was posted online. The invaders are ruthlessly destroying the city, and civilians are forced to survive in apocalyptic conditions. Despite the fierce fighting for Avdiivka, about 1,300 civilians remain in the town.

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