Ukraine’s army has been forced to cede more territory to Putin’s marauding troops, as the situation in the Donbas continues to worsen for Kyiv.
Russia‘s generals landed a significant blow on the battlefield after capturing the “powerful defensive hub” of Avdiivka in February in Ukraine‘s eastern province.
Zelensky’s troops scrambled to build new defensive lines to the west of the destroyed city, in an attempt to prevent further advances.
However, over the weekend Ukraine‘s army chief admitted that his troops had to once again retreat, due to intense Russian assaults.
The villages of Berdychi (northwest of Avdiivka) and Semenivka (west of Avdiivka) are now under Russian control.
Novobakhmutivka, around 10 km (6 miles) north of Avdiivka, has also fallen to Putin’s army
General Oleksandr Syrskyi in a Telegram post said: “The situation at the front has worsened.”
The beleaguered military commander conceded that Russia had achieved “tactical successes” in some areas of the battlefield.
Brigades of rested troops are now being rushed to the Avdiivka front to try and stabilise the situation.
Analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) predict that the additional Ukrainian forces will force Putin’s generals “to either accept that a near-term wider or deeper penetration is unlikely or commit additional reserves to the area to continue pursuing tactical gains.”
Putin’s army is also pushing hard to seize the Ukrainian stronghold of Chasiv Yar, where fierce battles are raging.
The city’s capture would make it easier for Russia to launch a broader offensive in Donetsk Oblast, about half of which is already under the Kremlin’s control.
It would open the way for an attack on Kramatorsk, that lies on the road to Kharkiv and is just 231 km to the south of Ukraine‘s second largest city.
General Syrskyi noted that the threat of a possible future Russian offensive operation against Kharkiv is causing Ukraine to allocate additional forces and equipment to defending the city.
Zelensky’s army is suffering from a catastrophic shortage of both weapons and manpower. In some places along the front, it is being outgunned ten-to-one and outmanned seven-to-one.
Relief, though, could soon come for Kyiv’s beleaguered army after the US Congress finally approved a $61 billion military aid package.
Tyler Mitchell