Avdiivka…the key to eastern Ukraine is now close to Russia’s hands

Avdiivka has become one of the most important hotspots on the front, as the Russian army made progress over the weekend, as the head of the military administration in the town, Vitaly Barabash, stated that Russian forces are advancing from all sides towards this town located in eastern Ukraine after fighting around it has been going on for weeks. .

There are conflicting reports about the Russian forces entering at a depth of 1 kilometer from the north, but the more accurate picture is that the hostilities there are actions of “back and forth” between the two sides.

Two specialists, one of whom was Russian, spoke to Sky News Arabia about the secrets of the Avdiivka battle and the reasons for the Russian and Ukrainian armies’ adherence to its battle, which has been ongoing for a month and a half without a victor so far, as well as the consequences of the fall of the industrial and strategic city into the hands of the Russians.

New Bakhmut

The Russian researcher specializing in international affairs, Timur Doydar, says: “It seems that the Russian plan in Avdiivka is to transform this city, which constitutes a (focal point) in the course of the war, into a second Bakhmut, that is, into a new combat hotspot that consumes human resources, equipment, and Ukrainian military machinery, as It clearly appears that the same scenario is being repeated: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is determined to hold on to this sparsely populated industrial city, while General Valery Zaloghny does not consider it necessary.

Timur Dowidar added, in exclusive statements to Sky News Arabia: “Zelensky is looking at the political dimension of the battle, and his main goal is to achieve some achievement on the front that will raise the shares of the Ukrainian leadership in front of the Western countries that provide aid to Ukraine, and thus attract more aid.” “.

Russian forces are trying to control the city through three axes, according to what Russian researcher Timur Dowidar sees:

Southeast of the city, where the southern industrial zone is located, Russia bombed it with cluster missiles on November 22, and Ukraine suffered heavy human losses there.

• The second axis:

Northwest of the city, where there are a group of villages, the most important of which are (Krasnagoravka, Stepovi, Berdichi), and northwest of the city there is a large factory, which is the Avdiivka Coke and Chemical Plant (AKHZ), which is one of the largest factories in Europe.

• The third axis:

South of the city, where several small villages are located, the most important of which are: Obitnoy, Vadenoy, and Severn. The fighting was intense on the first and second axes, but less severe on the third axis.

3 results for the loss of Avdiivka

Watling Kudrakhin, a specialist in international affairs at the National University of Odessa in Ukraine, believes that Russia is working vigorously during the current period to achieve gains on the ground in that pivotal point (Avdiivka) located in the Donetsk region. That city has become almost devoid of residents, with only 1,500 people remaining in it, after its population was more than 37 thousand people before the war began on February 22, 2022, in addition to the presence of giant coal factories in that region, which gives it an economic advantage and an important strategic value.

Watling Kudrakhin added, during his statements to Sky News Arabia, that Russia is trying to exploit the current international preoccupation with the conflict in the Middle East between Israel and the Hamas movement, in order to gain the largest possible area of ​​strategic points on the battlefield.

Watling Kudrakhin points out that the event of Russian control over that city will have a number of consequences, including:

• Kiev may have to withdraw to new rear defensive lines and strengthen these defenses until F-16 planes and more long-range missiles arrive in order to be able to achieve some kind of breach on the front.
• Further decline in the morale of the Ukrainian army in light of strong Russian strikes along the front line.
• The West, led by America, is steadfast in its theory of rationalizing support to Kiev, especially after October 7, 2023, and may reconsider the upcoming financial and military aid packages.