Avdiivka under fire: Russian indiscriminate shelling kills a civilian

Russian troops shelled residential areas of Avdiivka in the Donetsk Oblast (eastern Ukraine), the Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor's Office reported. On 11 October, the Russian army had been striking residential areas of Avdiivka since the early morning. An 85-year-old local resident was killed by the shelling in the yard of his townhouse, according to the Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor's Office. In addition, a 44-year-old woman and a 69-year-old man were wounded. They were taken to the hospital with fractures for emergency medical care. The Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor's Office reported that the man is currently in intensive care. Under the procedural supervision of the Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor’s Office, a pre-trial investigation was initiated into the violation of the laws and customs of war (Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). Russia launched a massive, coordinated offensive on the Ukrainian-held city of Avdiivka, bringing fighter jets, helicopters, tanks, and thousands of troops to the area, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported in its daily report on 10 October. According to the ISW, the Russian offensive in the Avdiivka sector of the eastern front is intended to pin down Ukrainian forces and prevent them from being transferred to support Ukraine's counteroffensive in the Robotyne area in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast (southeastern Ukraine). On 10 October, Ukraine’s Armed Forces repelled all Russian attacks near Avdiivka in the Donetsk Oblast, where the Russian army had intensified offensive operations, the spox for the Joint Press Center of the Tavria grouping of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, Oleksandr Shtupun, reported. Avdiivka is a Ukrainian-controlled city in the Donetsk Oblast, which the Russian Army has been trying to occupy since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The pre-war population of the city was around 32,000 residents. Most of the people left Avdiivka to escape Russian indiscriminate shelling. In August 2022, the city's population was estimated at 2,500 people. Related:

• Russia launches massive offensive on eastern front
• ISW: Russia’s Avdiivka attacks aim to stop Ukraine reinforcements in Zaporizhzhia Oblast
• Frontline report: Russia's costly assault on Avdiivka yields minimal gains at this time