Mer om Avdeeka (från pro-Ukrainska källor).
https://twitter.com/emilkastehelmi/status/1637072338410782720?t=8fv8xvUM5XhgN7ZQMrML3A&s=19
A new encirclement theat may be rising in Donetsk oblast.
Russians have recently started making gains in the Avdiivka sector, about 50 km south of Bakhmut. The area has been relatively stable for months, but now the situation is becoming more difficult for the Ukrainians. 1/ 🧵
Avdiivka has been on the frontline for years, as fighting in the direction began already in 2014. The enemy was stopped then, and they have been stopped again and again during 2022. Despite heavy fighting, the Russians were unable to make significant progress for a long time. 2/
Months of fighting against constant Russian pressure have caused some cracks in the Ukrainian defense. In the northern side of Avdiivka, Ukraine lost Krasnohorivka and also likely Vesele. In the south, Russians are now attacking Sieverne. The gap is about 11 km wide. 3/
The recent development has potential to become a real problem for the Ukrainians.
The area behind Avdiivka is flat and has limited natural cover. It mostly consists of fields and narrow treelines, with only a few villages. The supply roads pass through this area. 4/
The Russians do not have to close the whole 10 km gap in order to win the battle. Cutting a couple of roads, taking the rest under heavy fire control and forming an imminent encirclement threat could be enough. 6/