(Reuters) – Russian forces have decreased their attacks on the besieged eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka, and unofficial reports from the region suggest that they have been unsuccessful in capturing the devastated town of Maryinka to the southwest. Russia’s military has shifted its focus to eastern Ukraine after abandoning an advance on Kyiv in the early days following the February 2022 invasion. Since mid-October, the military has aimed to seize Avdiivka and its large coking plant. Russian reports on Friday suggested that Moscow’s troops had taken control of Maryinka, but unofficial Ukrainian reports on Saturday indicated that their forces were still holding some districts.
According to Ukrainian military spokesperson Oleksandr Shtupun, Russian attacks on Avdiivka have decreased by half over the past 24 hours due to heavy losses. “The coking plant is under the control of the Ukrainian armed forces,” Shtupun said. “Enemy forces are attempting to enter, but are suffering losses in personnel and equipment.” He added that fighting remains intense in an area adjacent to the town center known as the “industrial zone.” Russia’s popular war blog Rybar stated that the zone had fallen under Russian control, but Reuters was unable to verify accounts from either side.
Vitaliy Barabash, head of the town’s military administration, stated that Avdiivka is “beginning to resemble Maryinka, a settlement that essentially no longer exists. It has been razed to its foundations.” There were no official Ukrainian reports on Maryinka, but military analyst Oleh Zhdanov disputed reports of its capture by Russian troops, stating that the southwestern and northwestern parts of the town are under the control of Ukrainian forces. Meanwhile, an unofficial Ukrainian war blog named Deepstate quoted Ukrainian servicemen as denying any claims that Russian forces had secured full control over Maryinka. Russia’s Defence Ministry made no mention of Maryinka, and Russian war blog Rybar referred to photos on social media showing Russian flags in the town, but also mentioned that several buildings remain under the control of the Ukrainian military.
Another Ukrainian spokesperson, Volodymyr Fitio, reported that Kyiv’s forces had repelled 21 Russian attacks in areas surrounding Bakhmut, a town that was captured by Russian forces in May but has since been recaptured by Ukrainian troops. Ukrainian forces have been focusing on reclaiming occupied villages in the east and south as part of a counteroffensive launched in June, although President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has acknowledged that progress has been slower than Kyiv had hoped for. (Reporting by Ron Popeski in Winnipeg, Canada, and Maria Starkova; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
