KYIV, Ukraine, Feb 15, 2024 (AFP) – Ukraine has sent more soldiers to the embattled eastern town of Avdiivka, an army unit said Thursday, describing the situation there as “extremely critical”.
Russian forces have been storming the city in the eastern Donetsk region since last year and have it surrounded by three sides.
“The Third Separate Assault Brigade confirms that it was urgently redeployed to strengthen Ukrainian troops in the Avdiivka area,” the brigade said in a post on its Telegram channel.
“The situation in the city … was extremely critical,” it added.
Russian forces have made progress in their attempt to capture the city in recent weeks, with reports of street fighting on the outskirts.
Ukraine’s top commander admitted Wednesday that Ukraine was outnumbered on the battlefield.
The battle for the industrial hub, less than 10 kilometres (6 miles) north of the city of Donetsk, has been one of the bloodiest of the two-year war, drawing comparisons with last year’s grinding fight for Bakhmut, in which tens of thousands of soldiers were killed.
“The objective situation in Avdiivka remains threatening and unstable. The enemy continues the active rotation of troops and is throwing new forces and resources into the city,” Ukraine’s Third Separate Assault Brigade said.
The general staff of Ukraine’s army said separately that troops “continue to hold back the enemy, who keeps trying to surround Avdiivka”.
It said Russia launched 34 attacks in the area on Wednesday.
Russia also continued its barrage of aerial attacks on Ukraine overnight.
Moscow’s forces fired 26 missiles, killing at least one person and destroying multiple homes, Ukrainian officials said Thursday.
A 66-year-old woman was killed after two projectiles hit a residential area in the northeastern city of Chuguyiv, the prosecutor’s office said.
Air defences shot down 13 of the Russian missiles, the air force said.
