Phosphorus, bombs and 360° fire: what's happening in Avdiivka, which our defenders are fighting for

The difficult situation in Avdiivka has been ongoing for a long time. Recently, one of the best units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, the Third Separate Assault Brigade, was redeployed there. The 110th separate mechanized brigade, which is deployed in Avdiivka, said that they are no longer capable of holding the city.

On February 16, a post by Viktor Biliak, a fighter with the 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, was shared on social media, describing two unsuccessful attempts to leave the “Zenit” fortified area.

“Being completely exhausted, wounded, and with a minimum number of belongings… we are in Avdiivka and ready to leave. The command is pushing us further. They are even ready to bring ammunition and supplies and leave us to die,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Operational Command “North” reports that the 110th Brigade “continues to carry the defense of the city on its shoulders”. According to hromadske, some of the brigade's soldiers were withdrawn from the city, while others remained.

Dmytro Lykhovii, spokesperson for the Tavria operational and strategic grouping of troops, said that the occupiers have intensified attacks from the northern and southern flanks, are engaging armored groups, and trying to cut off Ukrainian forces by entering between the Avdiivka Coke Plant in the north and the quarry in the east of the city.

The map maintained by the DeepState monitoring group shows that Russian forces have been closing the gap around Avdiivka in recent days, advancing east of Lastochkyne and south of the city since February 15. According to the latest updates the occupiers have seized the Donetsk filtering station and advanced near Nevelske.

Maneuvers of the Defense Forces

Lykhovii said that the situation on the contact line is currently dynamic and can change literally every hour.

As of the morning of February 16, Tavria reported “planned reinforcement of units and maneuvering of troops in threatened areas.”

In practice, maneuvers are divided into different stages, said Major Rodion Kudriashov, deputy commander of the Third Assault Brigade. The military have to withdraw from their positions because they are simply leveled to the ground. In this case, the soldiers move to more favorable positions to hold the line of defense.

“For your information, on February 12, Tavria stated that a record was set for the elimination of enemy soldiers (645 people — ed.). This is an example of successful maneuvers and a successful hit,” Kudryashov said.

Meanwhile, the “Russian military correspondents” have already published footage of the Russian flag being raised over the “Zenit” fortified area. However, Kudriashov believes that this step is intended to increase psychological pressure, as the occupiers do not have the strength to hold these positions.

“An extremely difficult situation”

Soldiers of the Third Assault Brigade, who entered Avdiivka, report an “extremely difficult” situation. The brigade's spokesperson, Oleksandr Borodin, said that the ratio of forces in Avdiivka is seven to one in favor of the Russians. The occupiers have engaged special forces in the battle for the city, including special forces of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate, whose unit is called the “flagship of pressure” on Avdiivka.

In the battles for the city, the Russians spare neither equipment nor shells - they use both guided aerial bombs (abbreviated as GABs) and banned phosphorus bombs. They also conduct tank attacks along with infantry, a large number of APCs, IFVs, aircraft, and drones. All in all, the Russians have concentrated about 50,000 troops in the Avdiivka sector.

“We are holding our defensive positions. The task is very difficult because of the ratio and the infinite amount of resources the Russians have. We have eliminated two brigades, but the enemy has constant support — instead of the eliminated battalion, they come in again and again. And there is no horizon that they may run out of something — both people and resources,” Borodin says.

The contact line in the Avdiivka sector was previously considered the most active on the entire front. But previously, the Russians had used the tactic of small assault groups of up to a squad size. Now they are increasingly using armored vehicles in the offensive.

According to soldiers of the Third Assault Brigade, the situation in Avdiivka is tense in some areas, and in some, it is already critical. One of the strongholds held by Ukrainian defenders is surrounded by Russians at 360 degrees, which means they can attack from all sides. However, the servicemen have the opportunity to open this “inner ring” with the help of strike and assault operations, Kudriashov said.

On social media, the current situation in Avdiivka is already being compared to last year's situation in Bakhmut, which the Wagner PMC had been trying to occupy for months. But, according to the military, in Bakhmut, the invaders kept their equipment and worked mostly with people.

“Two combined arms armies are storming now, and this is a big difference. Compared to the most critical moment in Bakhmut, the situation in Avdiivka is more complicated, because the enemy has a huge number of GABs and equipment […] It was difficult there, now it is extremely difficult,” Borodin said.

Ukrainian defenders hold the line in Avdiivka in conditions where they have no opportunity to rest or rotate, which would be a difficult operation.

Is it worth holding Avdiivka in such conditions? Tavria spokesperson Dmytro Lykhovii stated that the servicemen “do not hold the piles of stones and iron that remain on the positions” and prioritize the lives of the personnel. However, the Russians are gradually destroying the settlements of Pokrovsk district, which is slightly west of Avdiivka, “so it is important to hold every Ukrainian town.”

Lykhovii also emphasized that the contact line moves “not only in one direction, as it may seem to some.”