Russia Still Trying to Encircle Avdiivka, ‘Probing AFU Defenses for Weaknesses’

Following a brief period of relative calm, a new escalation in Russian attacks has been observed in Avdiivka since Wednesday, as Moscow’s forces persist in their so far failed attempt to capture the town.

Vitaliy Barabash, the head of the Avdiivka City Military Administration (CMA), said during a telethon on Thursday morning that the shelling persisted throughout the night, with continuous gunfire audible from the surrounding positions.

"They are firing from all available resources. Unfortunately, after several days of relatively decreased tension in our direction, we observed an escalation yesterday," he said.

According to Barabash, there has been an increase in the number of shelling incidents within the community's territory, as well as an escalation in air missile strikes, not only affecting Avdiivka but also the neighboring Ocheretynsk community.

The mayor emphasized that Russia persists in its attempts to encircle the city, aiming "to identify weak points in the Ukrainian Armed Forces' defensive line."

"Additionally, they compensate for their failures with a greater frequency and scale of artillery and air missile strikes," he added.

Barabash reported that on Thursday morning, Russian forces launched two major attacks.

"The first occurred between 6:05 and 6:45, and the second commenced at 7:00. The aggressors targeted the old part of the city extensively with both artillery and 'Gradas'," said Barabash, adding there were no reports of casualties.

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Yesterday morning, the city experienced a relatively quiet period but local officials on Wednesday predicted an escalation in Russian attacks.

In recent days, the Russians initiated their largest offensive on Avdiivka since 2014. Despite significant losses, Russia shows no sign of slowing its offensive against Avdiivka and continues to shell nearby Ukrainian positions, local officials reported.

On October 17, Ukrainian forces repelled 15 Russian attacks on Avdiivka, with the middle of last week seeing up to 60 attacks per day. Although the intensity of the attacks seemed to have subsided, Barabash noted that skirmishes persisted "round the clock" in the surrounding areas.

"Most likely, we anticipate this escalation to continue over the next few days," he cautioned.

On October 13, it was reported that Russia launched an unsuccessful attack against Avdiivka, deploying 100-200 armored vehicles under the command of Russia's 25th Combined Arms Army, resulting in what could be its worst combat losses since mid-February this year.