How did Ukraine lose Avdiivka to Russia?

The Avdiivka coke plant was a near-perfect defensive stronghold with a 10-km perimeter surrounding a large compound, surrounded on three sides by open fields.

New soldiers of the 3rd Assault Brigade shout slogans at a military base near Kiev, September 25, 2023. Photo: AP

But by late November, during a major Russian offensive, Ukrainian forces realized something had changed. The skies were filled with glide bombs, giant unguided Soviet-era bombs equipped with navigation systems that could obliterate everything around them, as well as explosive drones that could attack buildings and hunt soldiers.

As the new year began, the Avdiivka coke plant began to feel more vulnerable. Dozens of glide bombs began to explode every day. A soldier named Oleh once counted 74 air strikes in one shift. Oleksander, a company commander inside the plant, said the psychological impact was devastating.

"Everyone is familiar with artillery, but air-guided bombs are something new and we are not used to them. Their destructive power is many times greater, and the psychological impact is also greater," he said.

As ammunition ran low, the Ukrainians fought back with whatever bullets they had left. But Oleh said that for every round the Ukrainians fired, the Russians responded with eight or nine.

Moreover, Ukrainian brigades typically rotate soldiers out of direct frontline positions every few days or at most a week. Brigades that have been engaged for a long time are withdrawn for rest and resupply. But that did not happen in Avdiivka.

As the Western allies stopped sending weapons, many soldiers in the east began to feel abandoned. With no reinforcements, no ammunition and no new orders, the idea of ​​retreat began to cross the minds of Ukrainian soldiers.

Russian forces have seemingly endless supplies of men and ammunition, and are not afraid to waste them. Between relentless airstrikes and Russian ground advances, the Ukrainians found their options dwindling. With constant pressure and lack of support, Oleh said, the soldiers were talking about retreating. “Their constant attacks are exhausting us.”

Satellite image taken on February 26 shows the Avdiivka coke plant after Ukrainian troops withdrew from the town. Photo: Planet Labs

On February 8, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fired the commander of the Ukrainian army, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi. This is the biggest reshuffle of the army since the conflict began.

The next day, outside Avdiivka, combat officers gathered at a command post a few kilometers from the coke plant. There was a heated discussion, after which the commander and two soldiers left in a car.

It is unclear what happened next, but one of the two soldiers was found dead nearby from a gunshot wound. The commander and the other soldier have not been found.

On February 15, the 110th Brigade, which had been fighting since March 2022, received orders to withdraw from Avdiivka at night. On February 17, Russia declared control of Avdiivka and the town's coke plant.

Hoai Phuong (according to AP)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/ukraine-mat-avdiivka-vao-tay-nga-nhu-the-nao-post287607.html