Russian forces made marginal advances northwest of Avdiivka on 28 December, ISW said in its daily report, citing Russian sources.
Ukraine’s Avdiivka Coke and Chemical Plant in eastern Ukraine is a major hub for metallurgical coke production. Russia unleashed a large-scale offensive trying to encircle and overrun Avdiivka on October 2023, in which the coking plant became one of the significant Ukrainian strongholds northeast of the city.
Geolocated footage published on 28 December indicates that Russian forces slightly advanced near the Avdiivka Coke Plant northwest of Avdiivka.
Russian milbloggers claimed that Russian forces advanced up to 800 meters from Severne (southwest of Avdiivka), near Ocheretyne along the railway line (northwest of Avdiivka), and in the industrial zone (southeast of Avdiivka).
ISW said, citing Ukrainian and Russian sources, that “positional battles continued northwest of Avdiivka east of Novobakhmutivka and near Stepove, and south of Avdiivka near Pervomaiske, Nevelske, and Severne.”
Ukrainian Tavriisk Group of Forces Spokesperson Colonel Oleksandr Shtupun said on the Frontline program that Russian forces have doubled their use of loitering munitions and increased the number of glide bomb strikes with Su-34 and Su-35 aircraft in the Tavriisk direction, which includes Avdiivka, western Donetsk Oblast, and Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
Over the past day, Ukraine repelled 26 Russian attacks east of Novobakhmutivka and Avdiivka and in the areas of Pervomaiske and Nevelske in Donetsk Oblast. General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported on 29 December.
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