Soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) are retreating from Avdiivka, breaking out of an encirclement arranged by the Russian army, according to the Ukrainian media.
Ukrainian military analysts report new breakthroughs by Russian forces in the city of Avdiivka, from fire stations to factories. It is reported that Russia has deployed troops for an offensive on the city, and a Ukrainian brigade commander has noted the heavy combat situation.
The Ukrainian armed forces lost control of a number of crucial defence positions, with soldiers forced to tactically retreat to avoid being trapped in an encirclement.
It is reported that Ukrainian soldiers have already left the Cheburashka and Vynohradnyki positions. The spokesman of the 3rd Assault Brigade, Oleksandr Borodin, added that the battle in Avdiivka was comparatively “more difficult” [than the battle in Bakhmut], as Russian troops were now better equipped.
Shortly before the hostilities in the region developed, a number of media outlets, such as The Financial Times and Newsweek, reported on the grim prospects for the Ukrainian military’s defensive efforts to hold Avdiivka.
Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the commander-in-chief of the AFU, Valery Zaluzhny, and appointed General Oleksandr Syrskyi in his place.
