The leader of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky, announced on Friday that Ukrainian forces stopped a recent attack by Russia in the town of Avdiivka. They fought hard and are still in control.
Zelensky and important military leaders went to the southern area of Kherson. They talked about what’s happening in Avdiivka and Kupiansk, a town north of Avdiivka where Russian forces are attacking more intensely.
Zelensky shared a video message, thanking the soldiers for their strong defense and for pushing back the occupiers every day. He mentioned that Russia is facing very big losses, and these are the losses that Ukraine wants.
Zelensky’s office reported that Russia’s attack on Avdiivka caused a lot of damage in terms of people and equipment, but didn’t give specific details about how much was lost.
FRANCE 24 couldn’t confirm the exact situation on the battlefield. Moscow says things are going well for its forces near Avdiivka, but both sides tend to exaggerate their wins and losses since Russia invaded in February 2022.
According to the Ukrainian military, there’s been intense fighting along the front line, with about 90 battles in the past day. A week ago, there were around 60 clashes each day.
The head of Avdiivka’s military administration, Vitaliy Barabash, said this new wave of attacks is just as strong as the previous one on October 10 and 11. He added that it’s very tough, but the soldiers are holding on and pushing back the enemy.
Avdiivka, which has a large coking plant, has been under attack for a long time. It’s a powerful symbol of Ukrainian resistance and is seen as a way to reach the nearby Russian-held city of Donetsk.
Situation in Kherson
Kyiv has been moving carefully through big Russian minefields in their counterattack, which they started in June in the east and south. However, Russia has fought back strongly in the areas of Avdiivka and Kupiansk.
Kyiv believes that Russia’s attacks are meant to pull Ukrainian troops away from other areas and try to capture more territory before winter comes.
A US research group, the Institute for the Study of War, suggested that Ukrainian forces may have successfully pushed through to the eastern side of the Dnipro River in Kherson.
Kyiv has not responded to this report, and Zelensky, who visited the southern region of Mykolaiv, didn’t provide any details about the situation in Kherson.
Ukraine regained control of parts of the Kherson region last year after being occupied by Russian forces for months. However, Russian troops, after leaving Kherson, withdrew only to the other side of the Dnipro River and continue to shell the city from there.
In the northeast, Kupiansk was also retaken by Ukrainian forces in a swift operation late last year.
SOURCE: FRANCE24