The battle for Avdiivka is hell, says Ukrainian commander

A destroyed artillery system on the outskirts of Avdievka in the Donetsk region Photo: Konstantin Liberov/Getty

Fierce fighting for Avdiivka has grown into a besieged eastern city «hell,» according to the commander of a battle-hardened Ukrainian unit sent to protect it.

Ukraine announced Thursday it was withdrawing troops from the industrial city to take up better defensive positions.

It was reported that Ukrainian troops were on the verge of encirclement after Russian troops broke through a critical supply line between the city and the Avdeevka coke plant, which could have been used by the Kyivians for a decisive battle.

To stabilize the situation, the elite Third Separate Assault Brigade, one of the most famous combat units in Ukraine, was transferred to the area.

Brigade commander Andrei Biletsky said: “Avdiivka is hell.”

He described the situation as “shaky and unstable” as the Russians constantly send fresh troops and resources into battle.

“Our fighters are demonstrating unprecedented heroism,” the commander wrote in the Telegram messenger. “We are forced to fight 360 degrees against new brigades that the enemy creates.”

The battle for the city, which lies about 12 miles north of the Russian-occupied city of Donetsk, has raged since October, with the situation in Ukraine worsening in recent weeks. .

Russia has concentrated about 50,000 troops on the front line between its forces and the Ukrainians defending Avdiivka, according to Ukrainian military spokesman Dmitry Lykhovoy.

“In Avdiivka, in some places there is a maneuver to withdraw our units to more advantageous positions, in some places to oust [Russian] positions,” he added.

Michael Coffman, senior fellow at the American think tank The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace said: “The situation in Avdiivka appears critical. Rotation in the third offensive has stopped the envelopment, but the current trajectory is very negative.»

Ukrainian defenses have become more dangerous due to the lack of fortifications on the front line.

Soldiers stationed on the first line of defense recently told the Kyiv Independent that the lines were ill-prepared for a major Russian offensive on Avdiivka. The second line, located several miles from the front line, was still under construction, the newspaper reported.

His capture is seen by Moscow as a vital moment for strengthening its control over the entire Donetsk region. The fall of Avdiivka would also give Vladimir Putin his first major military victory in Ukraine since his troops captured Bakhmut.

Because of its political significance for Moscow, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky also promised to give it “maximum attention, maximum support.”

The attempt to hold Avdiivka drew parallels with Kyiv’s refusal to cede Bakhmut. , a city 30 miles north.

Although Russia lost about 30,000 men, mostly Wagner mercenaries, Ukraine also suffered heavy casualties in the brutal nine-month battle for the city, one of the bloodiest of the war. .