Russia has decreased the number of ground attacks against Avdiivka but intensified its air strikes, dropping around 40 bombs at and near the town in just two nights, the Tavria group of forces' spokesperson, Oleksandr Shtupun, said on Oct. 24.
"The number of ground attacks has decreased somewhat. We can even say it dropped by half," Shtupun said on television.
Nevertheless, Avdiivka continues to be one of the hottest sectors of the front. The spokesperson noted that 80% of the past days' clashes – which amounted to 28 yesterday and 57 the day before – took place in the Avdiivka direction and near Marinka, another front-line town in Donetsk Oblast.
Shtupun did not say explicitly whether these figures refer only to the Tavria group's sector of the front. However, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces gives a much higher number of total skirmishes on all fronts, reporting 55 clashes on Oct. 23 and over 90 clashes on Oct. 22.
Russia intensified its attacks against Avdiivka in the past weeks, seeking to encircle the town that lies at occupied Donetsk's doorstep. More recently, Moscow's troops have also increased their activity on other parts of the eastern front, launching major attacks in the Lyman, Kupiansk, Marinka, and Bakhmut directions.
This reportedly cost Russia a great deal in manpower and equipment. Shtupun said that in the Tavria group's area of responsibility in Donetsk Oblast, Russian casualties in the past five days amounted to around 2,400 soldiers killed or wounded.
"In addition, more than 150 armored vehicles were destroyed by our military, including 54 tanks," Shtupun added.
Francis Farrell
