Why does Russia want to capture the city of Avdiivka in Ukraine?

Kyiv:

As Moscow’s war in Ukraine continues, Russian forces are stepping up efforts to capture the small town of Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine.

The fighting was reminiscent of the battle for the eastern city of Bakhmut, which fell to Russia last May after months of urban fighting, following a 15-month full-scale offensive by what Moscow calls a “special military operation.”

Ukraine’s 3rd Assault Brigade, which fought in the Battle of Bakhmut, says it has been deployed to Avdiivka and described the situation there as “dangerous and unstable.”

What is AVDIIVKA?

Avdiivka, which had a pre-war population of about 32,000 and is called Avdiivka by the Russians, was briefly captured in 2014 by Moscow-backed separatists, who have seized control of much of eastern Ukraine, but the fortifications It was recaptured by Ukrainian troops.

Today, officials say fewer than 1,000 residents remain, many sheltering in cellars and basements. Officials say not a single building remains intact, and the mayor of Avdiivka says it is under attack from all sides.

Avdiivka is located in the industrial Donbass region, 15 kilometers (nine miles) north of the Russian-held city of Donetsk. Before the war, its Soviet-era coke plant was one of Europe’s top producers.

Russian-backed officials describe Avdeevka as a “fortress” with concrete bunkers. They say the defenders are hiding in the tower blocks, which cannot be stormed without heavy losses, and are using the coking plant as a base and weapons depot.

What losses have Russia and Ukraine suffered in AVDIIVKA?

Ukrainian and Western military analysts say the Russian attack on Avdiivka is causing significant casualties.

Last November, British military intelligence said the fighting had contributed to “the highest Russian casualty rate in the war so far”.

“New forces arrive every day, no matter the weather, no matter the losses,” a member of Ukraine’s 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade told Radio Liberty.

“But no matter what, they keep crawling – literally on their own bodies.”

Russian war bloggers, whom the Kremlin has brought under tight control, have acknowledged heavy Russian losses but also alleged significant Ukrainian losses.

He says that if Russian forces can cut off their last main supply line to the west, Kiev’s forces could be encircled.

President Vladimir Putin underlined the importance of Avdiivka on January 31 and said a group of military veterans had recently moved ahead of the army to seize 19 buildings – a claim which, like other battlefield reports, Reuters could not verify. Can do.

Russia is carrying out air strikes with the assistance of special forces and using artillery, drones, helicopters and tanks as well as infantry, according to additional but regular updates from the Russian Defense Ministry.

Ukraine, which replaced its popular army chief and other military leaders on February 8, has not said what its military strategy is for the city, or whether it might eventually withdraw.

What’s at stake in AVDIIVKA?

Both sides consider Avdeevka vital to Russia’s goal of gaining full control over the two eastern “Donbass” provinces – Donetsk and Luhansk. These are among four areas of Ukraine that Russia says it has occupied but does not fully control.

Avdiivka is seen as a gateway to the city of Donetsk, whose residential areas Russian officials say have been shelled by Ukrainian forces, sometimes from Avdiivka.

Seizing it could boost Russian morale and demoralize the Ukrainian army, which has made only incremental gains in a sweeping counteroffensive since June. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky himself visited in December.

Former Kremlin adviser Sergei Markov said in February, “If Russian forces take control of the (supply) road, the Ukrainian Armed Forces will obviously be forced to withdraw from Avdeyevka. It would be a major victory for the Russian military.” ” .5.

Mykola Belyaskov of the National Institute for Strategic Studies, an official think-tank in Kiev, said that taking Avdeevka would not decisively shift the situation in Moscow’s favor, but would “change the situation for occupied Donetsk as a major Russian logistics hub.” Will become more sustainable”.

Belyazkov believes the fighting is driven by the Kremlin’s desire to strengthen the hand of Western skeptics, who are calling for cuts in support for Kiev, citing the limited impact of billions of dollars in military aid.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)