Russian forces intensify their attacks on Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine

The Russian forces have intensified their attacks on the town of Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine, as reported by the town's mayor on Thursday.

Fierce fighting has been ongoing for over a month in the industrial city located 13 kilometers north of Donetsk, the regional "capital" under Russian control, which Putin annexed.

Avdiivka's mayor, Vitaliy Barabash, stated on television, "The fighting is very intense. In fact, in the past few days, the enemy has become more active."

He pointed out that Russian forces are using armored vehicles, targeting the industrial area, and hitting locations in the town "around the clock" to bombard tall buildings.

The shelling has destroyed a large part of the town since 2014.

In addition, Barabash noted that there are still 1,431 people residing in the town, which had a population of about 30,000 before the war that began in February 2022.

General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, leading the Ukrainian counter-attack in the south, stated, "Our soldiers are vigorously defending their positions in the direction of Avdiivka."

Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described Avdiivka as one of the "hotspots" along the front line.

The British Ministry of Defense stated in an intelligence report on Thursday that Russia is "almost certainly attempting a pincer movement to encircle the town."

It speculated that Russian forces have approached the large coke plant in the town, which is a "key tactical location" near the main road leading to Avdiivka.

The production at the plant has been halted for months due to repeated Russian shelling.

Russian soldiers have recently advanced in the town of Stepove, north of the plant.

Meanwhile, the death toll from a missile strike on a residential building in the town of Selydove, about 40 kilometers east of Avdiivka, rose to three on Wednesday morning, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs.

In southern Ukraine, a civilian was killed and another injured in Russian shelling on the city of Kherson, according to local officials on Thursday.

AFP