Russia launched a large-scale attack on the city of Avdeevka, Ukraine withdrew air defense systems to the rear area.

The Russian army has entered a new phase of attack in Ukraine while Ukraine has withdrawn its air defense systems deep into the rear area.

Binh sĩ Ukraine tác chiến ở Kherson (Ảnh: New York Times).

Ukrainian soldiers in Kherson. (Source: New York Times).

The Telegram channel “Operation Z: War Correspondent of the Russian Spring” reported on January 6 that the country’s army had begun attacking the Ukrainian city of Avdeevka from all directions, along with large-scale artillery shelling.

Earlier, military expert Andrei Koshkin predicted that the new stage of the offensive on Avdievka would be possible thanks to the liberation of Maryinka. “I really hope that Avdiivka will not hold out for long, since shelling of peaceful areas of Donetsk is also coming from here,” the expert commented.

The Russian military's move to a new offensive phase became known at the end of December 2023.

According to TASS, an adviser to the head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), Yan Gagin, said that the Ukrainian army has withdrawn air defense systems deep into the rear area due to heavy attacks by Russian artillery and drones.

"The intensity of our drone and artillery attacks on Ukrainian air defense systems has led to the fact that they (Ukrainian armed forces) were forced to withdraw the remaining air defense systems as far away from the front line as possible and deep into the rear areas," Gagin said.

On the same day, senior officer of the press center of the Russian combat group Leonid Sharov said that the country's artillery attacked more than 100 Ukrainian facilities in the Krasny Liman area.

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