British intelligence confirms small advancement of Russian troops near Avdiivka
Illustrative photo (Photo: Getty Images)
In recent days, Russian forces have made slight advances in the northern axis as part of an attempt to encircle the city of Avdiivka, according to the Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom on Twitter.
According to the summary, since the beginning of October 2023, Russian forces have advanced the front line in this area by 2 kilometers.
British intelligence reports that although this is a modest advancement, it is likely one of Russia's largest achievements since spring 2023. It has come at the cost of thousands of casualties to their units.
This operation gradually brings Russian forces closer to the Avdiivka Coke and Chemical Plant, where Ukrainian forces maintain one of their key defensive positions.
"Although Avdiivka has become a salient or bulge in the Ukrainian front line, Ukraine remains in control of a corridor of territory approximately 7km wide, through which it continues to supply the town," noted the British Ministry of Defense.
Advance on Avdiivka
The Russian army initiated a concerted assault on Avdiivka on October 10th. During the assault, Russian forces suffered significant losses but continued attacks, deploying new units into battle. The destruction in Avdiivka surpassed that seen in Bakhmut in terms of scale.
According to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the Russians lost approximately 10,000 soldiers in this direction within a month.
Earlier, British intelligence reported that record losses in the Russian army in November 2023 were due to the advance on Avdiivka. Throughout November, Russian army losses averaged around 931 personnel per day, marking one of the highest casualty rates among Russians throughout the war
