Ukrainian officials said large numbers of Russian troops were attacking Avdeevka from all directions and the defenders were having difficulty holding back.
"The enemy is applying pressure from all directions. They are attacking with a lot of troops," Vitaliy Barabash, head of the military department of the city in Donetsk province, said on February 8, describing the current situation as "very hot and difficult".
Ukrainian soldiers fire at Russian military positions in the Zaporizhzhia region last August. Photo: Reuters
In its daily report on the situation in Avdeevka, Ukraine said its military was still holding back the Russian advance. "Our soldiers are defending firmly, causing significant losses to the enemy," the report said.
The Ukrainian ground forces said the situation was tense across the east of the country. "The enemy tried to break through our defenses in the Chasiv Yar area, Donetsk region, and launched local attacks by small assault groups with support from drones and artillery."
Russian troops have taken the initiative in the Donbass industrial region of eastern Ukraine, and are trying to cut off supply lines and encircle Ukrainian forces that have been entrenched in Avdeevka since last October.
Constantly bombarded by fighting in the area since 2014 and after the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out in February 2022, Avdeevka suffered heavy damage.
Barabash said there are now just 941 residents in the city that was once home to 32,000 people.
Location of Avdeevka and neighboring towns. Graphics: RYV
Vu Hoang (According to Reuters )
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