Russian missile strike against Avdiivka kills 1 civilian, injures 1

A Russian missile strike against Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast on Jan. 3 killed one civilian and injured another, Donetsk Oblast Governor Vadym Filashkin reported.

Russian forces began intensifying shelling and ground attacks against the front-line town in October 2023, forcing many of its inhabitants to leave.

At around 11 a.m., Russia launched four missiles against the town, aiming at a residential building, Filashkin said.

A 51-year-old man died on the spot, and a 50-year-old woman was hospitalized with injuries, according to the governor.

Lying at the doorstep of occupied Donetsk, heavily fortified Avdiivka stood on the front lines since 2014.

It is now one of the eastern front's main flashpoints as Russian forces seek to encircle the town. While achieving some territorial advances, Moscow's troops have repeatedly suffered heavy losses in this campaign.

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The Kyiv IndependentFrancis Farrell