Russia has launched a major offensive on Avdiivka: why the battle may be more fierce than for Vuhledar. Map

Russia has launched a major offensive on Avdiivka, Donetsk region. This is another of the defining battles of the war with Russia, which may become more fierce than the battle for Vuhledar in winter, as the occupiers can use the dense buildings of Donetsk and Yasynuvata for covert actions.

This was stated by Ukrainian journalist Yuriy Butusov. According to him, Avdiivka is of strategic importance for Russia, as it is actually the gateway to occupied Donetsk, the main communication hub in the territories captured by the enemy.

In order to gain a foothold in Donbas, Russian President Vladimir Putin needs to move the front line away from Donetsk, the journalist explained.

In 2022, the Russian army attacked Avdiivka, trying to deeply engulf it from both flanks. However, the offensive was stopped due to the heroic resistance of Ukrainians, Butusov noted.

"The battle for Avdiivka will be more fierce than the battle for Vuhledar in winter. The dense buildings in Donetsk and Yasynuvata facilitate covert actions, deployment of artillery among residential areas, and hidden actions of armored vehicles. Russia has concentrated significant aviation forces, uses high-precision weapons, a large number of shells that could have been received from North Korea and Iran," the journalist writes.

Butusov added that the occupiers are trying to achieve a great advantage in drones, which, together with enemy artillery, are used to hit the front lines.

The enemy is trying to open the way for its infantry and tanks to break through the combat formations of Ukrainian troops, primarily using a large number of precision munitions.

The main attack is coming from the south of Avdiivka. Unlike the first offensive, which lasted from July 2022 to March 2023, the city's coverage is now planned to be much shorter. At the same time, the occupiers are trying to avoid fighting in the city's urban areas and create a threat of encirclement for the Ukrainian Defense Forces in the city.

"The situation is very serious, the battle for Avdiivka requires concentration of all resources. The Ukrainian Defense Forces also have their advantages in the area. We are well aware of where and how the enemy is going to attack. Now we need to realize these advantages. There are many targets for our artillery and attack drones. A very difficult battle has begun," Butusov summarized.

As reported by OBOZREVATEL:

- ISW noted that Russia launched a local offensive in the Avdiivka area on October 9. Moscow's propaganda is spreading the idea that the occupiers are allegedly approaching the goal of encircling the Ukrainian Armed Forces, but analysts are skeptical. At the same time, the enemy is trying to advance in western Zaporizhzhia near Orikhiv to draw Ukrainian forces away from Robotyne.

- On September 28, the Russian army dropped bombs on the Avdiivka Coke Plant. A massive fire broke out at the plant.

- The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine noted that the enemy tried three times to regain lost positions near Avdiivka, but the attempts were unsuccessful.

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