Russia has been progressing toward Ukrainian-controlled Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast over the past three weeks using mobilized forces from occupied territory that are familiar with the local terrain, according to the U.K. Defense Ministry update on March 20.
Avdiivka has been a frontline city since Russia first invaded Donbas in 2014 and is largely destroyed.
The U.K. Defense Ministry believes that as the battle for control of Avdiivka takes shape, the former Avdiivka Coke Plant will become an important holding ground. From a tactical perspective, the battle will largely resemble the one for Bakhmut, which has been raging for the past seven months.
Ukrainian forces' supply lines to the west of Bakhmut are "increasingly threatened" by Russia's attempts to surround the city, the defense ministry wrote.
