Avdiivka: The Russians continue to storm the city. Fierce fighting continues

Over the last five days, Russian troops have been conducting active offensive operations towards Avdiivka. The enemy is trying to surround the city, but the Ukrainian army is on the defensive. Heavy fighting is taking place on this part of the front, accompanied by constant enemy fire. More details about the situation in Avdiivka later in the material.

The situation in Avdiivka is difficult, but the Armed Forces are repelling the attacks

Russian troops storm Avdiiv and continue to try to encircle the city. However, the enemy's efforts are fruitless, said Oleksandr Shtupun, spokesman for the joint press center of the Defense Forces towards Tavria. According to him, over the last day, the Ukrainian military repelled about 20 enemy attacks in this direction.

The Institute of War Studies (ISW), citing its own analyses, reported that all Russian attempts to attack Avdiyevka in the Donetsk Oblast over the last day ended in failure. At the same time, the report states that geolocation photos published on October 12 and 13 indicate that Russian forces have advanced south of Krasnohorivka (5 km north of Avdiivka) and southeast of Pervomaiyivka (11 km southwest of Avdiivka).

Analysts point to Russian military bloggers who talk about the use of minefields by Ukrainian forces to slow down the enemy's advance. Meanwhile, barrel wear reduces the accuracy of Russian artillery near Avdiivka.

One of the Russian volunteers claims that Russian forces can "squeeze through the Ukrainian border" by occupying less fortified Ukrainian territory near Avdiivka, writes ISW. He expressed concern that Russian generals were misinterpreting these limited offers and trying to accelerate the Avdiivka offensive. In his opinion, such an erroneous interpretation may lead to the Russian army "bashing at the concrete" fortifications until their forces are exhausted.

MBA manager on the situation in Avdiivka: "They hang out like cockroaches"

According to Vitaly Barabash, the head of the military administration of the city of Avdia, the Russian army is storming the city around the clock. “For 5 days today, the enemy has not stopped attacking or firing. They are still trying to surround Avdijiva. More and more forces are being put into carrying out these tasks”, Barabash said during the telethon.

Avdiivka is very strategically important for ZSU, primarily due to its proximity to Donetsk. Also, the city and its surroundings are the dominant heights. The Russians are trying to surround the city to prevent Ukrainian troops from controlling a very serious section of the front near Donetsk, Barabash told Ukrainian Radio. He added that in this way, Russian troops want to divert attention and prevent Ukrainian forces from moving in other directions.

How many people remained in Avdiivka?

According to the city authorities, 1,620 people remained in Avdiivka. They found themselves in a difficult situation because due to constant shelling, humanitarian aid did not reach the city and the evacuation was complicated.

Pavlo Dyachenko, a representative of the "White Angel" evacuation unit, said that 1-3 people are evacuated from Avdiivka every day. “The situation is changing. When a bullet hits somewhere nearby, they understand that they may be injured or killed, and following the example of their injured neighbors, they contact the police and leave," he said on the telethon.