The End Of The Avdeevka Cauldron

 

moon of alabama

The Ukrainian defense of Avdeevka is falling apart.

Avdeevka - Feb 15, 2024

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Avdeevka - Feb 16, 2024 (Note: slightly different zoom scale than above)

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The small cauldron south of Avdeevka around the 'Zenit' fortification, as seen in the Feb 15 map, has fallen. The Ukrainian military who fled from it under fire through open fields had to leave their wounded behind:

Both Russian and Ukrainian media reported Ukrainian troops had evacuated the formidable fortification network first built in 2014 following the Kremlin’s first invasion of Ukraine and improved since then. Ukrainian troops forced to fight their way out of a near-total encirclement in a bid to reach friendly lines had to abandon wounded and suffered casualties as they retreated, reports from both sides said.
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Viktor Bilyak, a member of 2nd Company, 1st Battalion, 110th Mechanized Infantry Brigade, the unit based at Zenit, in an Instagram post said higher command denied medical evacuation to wounded and six men of his 15-20 men section were abandoned to the Russians.

Another strong point, the Donetsk city water filtration plant east of Avdeevka has likewise fallen. Ukrainian troops retreated from it.

On Wednesday the 3rd separate assault brigade, an Azov neo-nazi unit, was ordered into the city. It found no prepared fortifications, was unprotected from artillery and aerial bombing and soon completely surrounded. After taking high losses in a short time frame the brigade command ordered to retreat from the central city:

The elite third Separate Assault Brigade, one of Ukraine’s most prominent fighting units, was deployed to the area in a bid to stabilise the situation.

Andrii Biletskyi, the brigade’s commander, said: “Avdiivka is hell.”

He described the situation as “precarious and unstable”, with the Russians constantly deploying fresh troops and resources to the fight.

“Our fighters demonstrate unprecedented heroism,” the commander wrote on the Telegram messaging app. “We are forced to fight at 360 degrees against new brigades that the enemy is setting up.”
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Russia has amassed some 50,000 troops on the front line between its forces and the Ukrainians defending Avdiivka, according to Dmytro Lykhoviy, the Ukrainian military spokesman.

“In Avdiivka, a manoeuvre is underway in some places to withdraw our units to more advantageous positions, in some places to force [the Russians] out of positions,” he added.

Units of the 3rd brigade filmed themselves leaving Avdeevka towards the west. Their U.S. made M113 'armored' aluminum is driving at high speed and comes under fire. They are passing the 'Welcome to Avdeevka' sign which, in late December, was the background of Zelenski's selfie stunt at the west entrance to Avdeevka.

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What is left of the 3rd brigade has moved out of the city and into the coke plant further north. However that place isn't safe either:

agitpapa @agitpapa - 12:33 UTC · Feb 16, 2024

Suriyakmaps: Russian forces took the [Avdeevka coke plant] management building and adjoining complex (48.16201, 37.7054). The high-rise is a perfect observation and firing position that the Azovs would have never given up if they could.

What and whoever is left in Avdeevka and the coke plant is under deadly fire:

Russian artillery was dominant and with Ukrainian guns firing back only rarely, and Russian air strikes were unceasing, practically all accounts said. A social media post purportedly from a 25th Airborne Brigade trooper in the Avdiivka sector said:

”They are raining down endlessly 24/7, there are no longer any trenches or dugouts from them. I am not calling anyone a traitor, but we we ask at least for some minimal anti-aircraft defenses. The (Russian) bombers are operating freely, we can fight everything they throw at us except this. We will stand as long as necessary…We have enough of everything, shortages of food, armored cars or something else is long in the past. (That we have). We need something of a different order of magnitude: Make it so that the enemy's aircraft does not fly."

The Russian air force is using glide bombs with a satellite based guidance kit that is the equivalent of the U.S. JDAM. These bombs are launched from a safe distance. They have only recently become available in large quantities (machine translation):

Ukrainian military publics call Russian FABs (guided aerial bombs) one of the main factors in the advance of the Russian Federation in Avdiivka.

About 250 bombs were dropped in the city and district in 2.5 days, "Nikolaevsky Vanek" writes. As well as thousands of projectiles and hundreds of FPV drones.

Ukrainian military specialist in drones Sergey Flash Beskrestnov writes that "the fabs do not care what kind of assault unit you are from and whether you have completed the Q course of the MTR."

He says that these 500 kg bombs "literally leveled us to the ground."

The press officer of the 3rd Azov brigade, now in the coke plant, confirmed this:

"The enemy is starting to use phosphorus. The use of guided aerial bombs has increased. Those bombs are much worse than artillery .

... We are talking about 50 or more such bombs per day. It's a very large number of them for such a small foothold.

And now phosphorus is being used. We got the news about it the day before."
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"The invaders are using phosphorus shells, which cause fuel oil tanks to catch fire. Poisonous smog is spreading across the entire territory of the (coke plant - ed.).

This is now the new 'home' of the 3rd Assault Brigade. Doesn't it remind you of something?

The Ukrainian leadership has ordered to hold onto Avdeevka as long as possible.

This is a repeat of the undue hold-out in Bakhmut. Instead of retreating to shorter straight defense lines thousands of Ukrainian troops will die in the city while trying to hold onto indefensible positions.

Posted by b on February 16, 2024 at 15:24 UTC | Permalink

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