The city of Avdiivka in the Donetsk region has been a front-line area since 2014, when the war in Donbas began. The city was under the control of pro-Russian forces for 4 months, but control was later regained by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
They managed to create a strong defensive area around Avdiivka. The coking chemical plant located in the city is also a kind of separate fortified point of the city. The 200-meter-high coke chemical plant slag heap overlooking the city provides a 5-kilometer overview. Pro-Russian formations have repeatedly attempted to capture Avdiivka. On February 21, 2022, Avdiivka, one of the first among Ukrainian cities, was attacked by Russian and separatist forces but remained under Ukrainian control. As of spring 2023, according to local authorities, all buildings were damaged or destroyed due to Russian shelling, and the infrastructure was completely destroyed. Of the 35,000 pre-war residents in Avdiivka, less than 2,000 remain.
Since October 10, the Russian army has been conducting a massive assault on the city, with heavy and bloody battles taking place. By this time, Avdiivka and its surroundings had formed a bulge of territory under Ukraine's control into the territory under Russia's control. According to experts, the activation of the offensive in Avdiivka has more political significance. After the slowdown of the Ukrainian offensive in the Zaporizhia and Kherson directions, the Russians transferred reserves, which they had been forming all summer (about 6.5-7 thousand people according to some reports), to achieve the political goal of taking Avdiivka, which has little strategic significance. Essentially, this is an alignment of the front line - no more, because behind Avdiivka are the second and third lines of defense. Currently, the Russian military has not achieved any strategic successes, none of the original tasks set by the Russian forces have been completed, and the advances marked in the southern and northern sectors at this stage do not pose a critical threat to maintaining the Ukrainian Defense Forces' defense lines around Avdiivka.
The Russian army continues to storm Avdiivka in waves, despite heavy losses. The British Ministry of Defense reports in its Sunday review of the fighting in Ukraine that more Russian military personnel are dying as a result of the military command's decision to attack Avdiivka. According to the OSINT project Oryx, within 10 days of the attack on Avdiivka, equipment losses reached 10 percent of all losses since the beginning of the summer. Meanwhile, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces claims that Ukrainian military personnel are managing to repel attempts to storm Avdiivka. This is also confirmed by analysts from the American Institute for the Study of War.
Russian generals do not care about the losses... and they are driving their troops to slaughter again to please Putin with the "liberation" of new cities. The command of the Russian occupying forces has no intention of stopping and, as their sick historical narrative dictates, they will not stand at any cost.
Putin had high hopes for success under Avdiivka because he wanted to leverage the fruits of victory to strengthen his position in negotiations with China. Analysts point to the political objectives of the attack: in the event of the siege of Avdiivka, to force Ukraine to make concessions, as well as to demonstrate some military successes to Russian society. The Russian dictator also needs success under Avdiivka as part of his pre-election campaign. It is evident that the Kremlin will need some visible success, and they will throw all their forces to achieve their goals.
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