Ukraine sends reinforcements to eastern stronghold to stop Russian advance

Days after Ukraine carried out its biggest change in military leadership since its war with Russia began two years ago, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the new commander-in-chief of Kyiv’s armed forces, is pouring reservists into Avdiivka, a city facing attacks from Moscow’s forces from three directions.

"The 3rd Separate Assault Brigade confirms that we have been urgently redeployed to reinforce the Ukrainian army in the Avdiivka area," the brigade said in a post on its Telegram channel on February 15, adding that the situation in the city was "extremely critical," according to AFP.

"The objective situation in Avdiivka remains threatening and unstable. The enemy continues to actively rotate troops, is pouring new forces and resources into the city," the Ukrainian brigade said.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military general staff said they "continue to hold back the enemy who is trying to encircle Avdiivka." According to the Ukrainian military, Russia launched 34 attacks on the city on February 14.

Russian troops close in on 'bloodline', Avdiivka in danger, recalling the image of Bakhmut

Also on February 14, General Syrskyi admitted that Ukraine was being outnumbered by Russia on the battlefield in Adviivka.

“We are doing everything possible to prevent the enemy from advancing deeper into our territory and to hold the positions we hold,” Syrskyi said in a statement on Telegram on February 14 as he visited soldiers on the front lines, according to Bloomberg.

Dmitry Likhovy, spokesman for the Tavria operational-strategic group of the Ukrainian Army, said on the same day that Kyiv is preparing to face the loss of the main supply line for soldiers in the Avdiivka area.

"The situation is difficult but manageable... Holding Avdiivka is an important objective, but if the situation becomes more complicated, the servicemen will withdraw to other lines," Mr. Likhovy said.

Ukrainian forces in Adviivka in November 2023

Russia is pressing its advantage as the Ukrainian army runs low on ammunition and US support for Kyiv is facing congressional obstacles in Washington, DC. For Kyiv, the failure to retake territory through a counteroffensive last year has forced it to focus on defending areas under its control.

The Kremlin has made Avdiivka a priority in a year when neither side is likely to make major strategic gains on the battlefield, according to Western officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. They said that even if Russia successfully took Avdiivka, it would gain little strategic benefit, and officials remain confident that Kyiv will maintain control of the eastern stronghold.

Elsewhere, the Ukrainian military said it had destroyed a Russian warship off the coast of Crimea early on Monday, the latest in a series of operations targeting Kremlin naval vessels. Kyiv said it had destroyed 24 Russian surface ships and a submarine since the start of hostilities.

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This is in contrast to the ground operations, which have been at a standstill. General Syrskyi and Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov visited troops stationed near Avdiivka and the northeastern city of Kupyansk, another flashpoint where Ukrainian troops are facing a fierce Russian offensive.

Avdiivka is an industrial city located just north of Donetsk, the capital of the province of the same name, which has been under the control of pro-Russian separatist forces since 2014. Given its important location, Avdiivka has been devastated by shelling and fierce fighting since the spring of 2022.

Kyiv's "Mouse Trap"

Ivan Sekach, spokesman for the 110th Mechanized Brigade defending the nearly besieged city, told Radio Liberty that some units of the brigade had been ordered to withdraw from Avdiivka to make way for reinforcements on February 13.

"We don't have the capacity to continue holding the city, but reinforcements are coming and we are counting on good units," said Mr. Sekach.

President Zelensky visited Adviivka in December 2023

New commander-in-chief Syrskyi confirmed the change in the military balance, saying Russian attacks on a 1,500km front had created a "difficult" situation for the Ukrainian army.

"The enemy is attacking along the entire front line... We have switched from offensive operations to defensive operations," Mr. Syrskyi told German television station ZDF, in an interview conducted a few days before Kyiv announced his appointment on February 8.

The general, who leads Ukraine's ground forces, has been hailed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as his "most experienced" commander. His reputation has grown after he helped defend the Ukrainian capital Kyiv in the first months of the war and drove Russian forces out of the country's northeastern Kharkiv province a few months later.

But the general, born in Soviet Russia in 1965, is also known for commanding the defense of Bakhmut, the eastern city that fell to Russian forces last year after months of siege.

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The battle there has drawn criticism from Western militaries that Kyiv has undermined its offensive plans by diverting manpower to defend a city known more for its salt mines than for its strategic value. Russian Wagner mercenaries have killed scores of Ukrainian soldiers in the battle.

Mr Syrskyi later defended the Bakhmut offensive, saying it was a “mousetrap” designed to cause Russia to lose more soldiers than ever before.

Last week, Ukraine’s new commander-in-chief weighed his priorities, stressing the need to improve planning, embrace technological advances and master drone warfare.

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