Ukraine says Russia sent 'very large number of troops' into Avdeevka

Ukrainian officials said the situation in parts of Avdeevka was "very serious" and Russia was sending a large number of troops into the city.

"There has been no fighting on the streets of Avdeevka," Vitaliy Barabash, head of the city's military department in Donetsk province, said on January 6. "However, there are definitely independent Russian reconnaissance groups that have infiltrated Avdeevka and are moving through the streets."

A few weeks ago, Ukraine considered the situation in Avdeevka to be "difficult but manageable", but now "the situation has become very difficult and in some places very serious", Mr. Barabash said.

"This does not mean that we have lost everything, everything is very bad," Mr. Barabash affirmed. "However, the enemy is sending a very large force into the city of Avdeevka."

Russian BMPT Terminator infantry fighting vehicle attacks Ukrainian positions in January 2023. Photo: Russian Ministry of Defense — Russian BMPT Terminator infantry fighting vehicle attacks Ukrainian positions in January 2023. Photo: *Russian Ministry of Defense*

Since 2014, the Ukrainian army has built many bunkers and fortifications, turning the city of Avdeevka into a fortress right next to the capital of Donetsk province of the same name. Russian units have surrounded the city on three sides, leaving Ukraine with only supply routes from the west.

Russian forces are continuously shelling Avdeevka to force Ukraine to withdraw from the city. President Vladimir Putin announced last week that Russian units had fortified their positions around Avdeevka and broken through Ukrainian defenses in several places.

Capturing Avdeevka would extend the Russian army's frontline by 50-60 km, creating a gateway from the capital Donetsk to other cities such as Konstantinovka in the north, moving closer to its goal of complete control over Donetsk province.

The US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said Russia's attacks are now smaller in scale than in October 2023, when they began the Avdeevka offensive.

According to ISW, Russia is focusing its operations on the southern residential area of Avdeevka and may "try to gain an advantage as they did in the bloody battle for Bakhmut".

"The overall tempo of the attacks suggests that Russian forces have prioritized a block-by-block assault from end to end in Avdeevka, rather than attempting to encircle the city further southwest or north, where they have made limited gains," ISW said.

Russia may have lost hundreds of combat vehicles in its attempt to storm Avdeevka. According to US intelligence, about 13,000 Russian servicemen were killed or wounded in the operation.