The battle for Avdiivka became almost the most expensive for Russia in the war. Ukrainian artillery destroyed Russian armored columns on the approaches to the city, and drones armed with explosives shot down infantry that dismounted and advanced on foot.
As he writes New York Times, almost three weeks after the start of the battle, the invaders were unable to make the rapid breakthrough they had hoped for. According to the Institute for the Study of War, it lost hundreds of people and more than 100 units of armored vehicles and tanks. At the same time, their losses turned out to be greater than during the attack on Vugledar.
In particular, the fighting on the first day of the big offensive on Avdiivka was so intense that the 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade ran out of drones and turned to the nearby 109th Brigade for reinforcements.
According to journalists, Avdiivka has been a target for Russian troops since 2014. A fighter in the 109th Territorial Defense Brigade said that this was the most brutal attack on the city during the entire war.
"The maximum we had was half a day of silence," the defender notes.
Currently, the Ukrainian military continues to block the Russian Federation from using the main highways and railways along the front line. In this regard, Avdiivka has a strategic value for the enemy. The capture of this city will push the Ukrainian Armed Forces away from Donetsk and open up the main rail and road routes for enemy forces in the area.
In addition, Avdiivka has political value. Its capture after so many years of resistance would be a major success for Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of winter.
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