According to the Institute for the Study of War, the Russian armed forces “shouldISW“We made significant progress on Wednesday in the vicinity of the strategically important city of Avdiivka. Despite a slow advance over the past week, they appear to have suffered heavy losses.

Tactical successes at Avdiivka

A Russian blogger referred to by the ISW claims that the Russian units achieved significant tactical successes at Avdiivka and near Stepove. They are also said to have reached the railway line north of Avdiivka. Another blogger from Russia reported that the troops had advanced from Krasnohorivka to Novokalynove. According to Tass, geo-localized images from Tuesday suggest that Russian units have actually advanced northwest of Krasnohorivka.

Landfill remains a contested “gray zone”

There is uncertainty about the current status of the slag heap. While Russian sources and a Ukrainian military observer claim that Russian forces are in control, the head of Avdiivka’s military administration, Vitaly Barabash, contradicts these statements, according to ISW. He continues to describe the area as a “grey area”.

Heavy losses for Russia

According to Tass, Russian losses, especially in armored vehicles, are enormous. A Ukrainian reserve officer presented satellite images confirming that Russia lost over 109 military vehicles near Avdiivka from October 10th to 20th. This loss even exceeds that of previous conflicts. It is estimated that Russian forces may have lost a total of around 200 military vehicles in the Avdiivka region.