Ukraine claimed that its forces destroyed nearly 50 Russian T-90M tanks in one day, as Russia tried to capture Avdiivka, a small city in the east of the country.
The Ukrainian General Staff said that in one day of fighting, nearly 900 Russians were killed and 100 units of their BTR-82A armored equipment were also destroyed.
A video shared by Ukraine’s military on Friday appeared to show Russian tanks and armor being destroyed as they headed towards the eastern Ukrainian city.
Russia made marginal gains in its renewed push near Avdiivka on Friday, which suggests it is committed to the operation despite high personnel and equipment losses, the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said on Friday.
White House National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby told reporters last week that Russia had launched a “renewed offensive” in eastern Ukraine, including around Avdiivka.
Kirby noted that it was unsurprising Russia had begun offensive actions, considering their ultimate goal is to take more Ukrainian territory.
However, the reasons for its focus on Avdiivka are unclear, as the ISW previously noted, that capturing the city will not open new routes of advance to the rest of Donetsk.
Since Russia began its push into Avdiivka on October 10, its forces have suffered high losses of tanks and armor but continued to launch assaults on the city, according to the ISW.
It suggests either that Russian forces believe they can take the city, or might indicate that Russian military command is poorly prioritizing offensive operations regardless of their cost, the think tank said.
© 2023, GDC. © GDC and www.globaldefensecorp.com. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to www.globaldefensecorp.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Be the first to comment