Russia sharply reduced the pace of offensive operations near Avdiivka after capturing the city: ISW explains what is happening. Map

The pace of Russian offensive operations near Avdiivka has slowed dramatically after the occupiers captured the town they had completely destroyed. The Russian army will likely have to redeploy the units remaining in the area to continue its advance.

Although the enemy has reserves to reinforce in other areas, there are no signs that the Russian Armed Forces command is moving them to Avdiivka. This was reported by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

On Monday, February 19, Dmytro Lykhoviy, an official representative of the Tavria operational and strategic group of troops, said that the number of Russian attacks in the Avdiivka sector had significantly decreased over the past day. According to him, Russian troops are currently regrouping and conducting operations to "clean up" the city. The activity of Russian shelling and aviation in the area has also significantly decreased.

Ukrainian officials have reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have withdrawn to a new line of defense, one that was prepared in advance and fortified on several levels. Therefore, Russian troops will likely have to take an operational pause before resuming major offensive operations in the Avdiivka sector. Otherwise, they will be forced to move additional reinforcements to the area from other parts of the front to prevent the culmination of operations near Avdiivka.

"The Russian forces have reserves for such reinforcements in other areas, but ISW has not seen any signs that their command is currently moving these reserves toward Avdiivka," the analysts noted.

On the contrary, Captain Ilya Yevlash, a spokesman for the Khortytsia separate military unit, said that the occupation command is likely to move the forces concentrated around Avdiivka to other parts of the front line in the near future. They did not specify which areas they meant.

"Yevlash said that it would probably take at least a week for Russian troops to move units from Avdiivka to fight in unspecified areas of the front line. ISW has not yet shown any signs of how the Russian forces will decide to distribute their personnel currently deployed in the Avdiivka area," the analysts added.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, the commander of the Tavria separate military unit Oleksandr Tarnavskyi said that in the Avdiivka sector, Ukrainian soldiers had consolidated their positions on new defense lines. On February 18, the defenders repelled five enemy attacks near Lastochkino, Novobakhmutivka, and Pervomayske.

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