Recent reports from a crucial conflict zone in Ukraine indicate continuing difficulties for embattled Russian forces.
The pace of Russian offensive operations near Avdiivka has slowed significantly since the capture of the Ukrainian city, according to an update from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
According to a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Tavriisk group of forces, the number of Russian attacks in the Avdiivka direction has significantly decreased over the past day, and Russian forces are currently regrouping and carrying out clearing operations in the area .
The British Ministry of Defense, for its part, believes that Russian forces probably do not have the combat effectiveness necessary to immediately exploit the capture ofAvdiivka and that they will need a period of rest and rehabilitation.
The ISW agrees with this analysis and adds that Russian forces will likely need to take an operational pause before resuming significant offensive operations in the Avdiivka direction.
Otherwise, they will have to transfer additional reinforcements from other sectors of the front to the area to prevent operations near Avdiivka from peaking and to continue attacks in this area.
Russian forces have reserves available for such reinforcements in other sectors, but there is no indication that the Russian command is moving these reserves to Avdiivka at this time.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces have retreated to a new defense line, prepared in advance and fortified at “multiple levels”, according to officials.
The available images, which ISW will not present or describe in further detail at this time in order to preserve Ukraine’s operational security, do not support claims that Ukrainian forces are not sufficiently prepared to defend positions located west of Avdiivka.
