Battle of Avdiivka: Ukrainian forces on defensive, repelling enemy attacks

Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, the commander of the Tavria operational and strategic grouping of troops, said this in an interview with the BBC, Ukrinform reports.

"To make progress in offensive assault operations, there must be maximum provision of both human resources and equipment. Therefore, for the third month now, the enemy has been trying to break through our defenses, sparing neither people, weapons, nor military equipment. They are constantly increasing their efforts to achieve this goal. […] They are constantly being reinforced. These are units like Storm Z, Storm V," Tarnavskyi said.

According to him, the Ukrainian side is constantly maneuvering its units.

"The ongoing assault both from the north and from the south of Avdiivka cannot be stopped with just one military unit. The situation is constantly changing - both positively and negatively. If it is negative, then we react as much as possible with units and our current assets," Tarnavskyi said.

In general, he added, the enemy has concentrated a large number of personnel in Avdiivka, with the enemy carrying out the principal attack, as well as diversionary attacks.

"But I will tell you that with those forces and assets that they have, they could have achieved better success. I think that our soldiers are confidently conducting active defensive operations. We not only defend the territory, we also immediately react to return a section of the territory that was lost," Tarnavskyi said.

Photo: General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces