Ukraine's Defence Forces rapidly destroy Russian armoured vehicles on Avdiivka front – ISW

Ukrainian defenders have been actively destroying Russian armoured vehicles used to support infantry on the Avdiivka front. In particular, the Russian occupiers lost 41 units of armoured vehicles in three days there. Source: Institute for the Study of War (ISW)

Details: The ISW noted that Russian forces have recently made verified progress to the southwest of Avdiivka. 

Geolocation images published on 17 January show that Russian forces attacked and occupied a position east of Nevelske (southwest of Avdiivka). Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, Commander of the Tavriia Operational Strategic Group, stated on 18 January that Russian troops on the Avdiivka front are likely actively employing armoured vehicles to support and deploy infantry. This tactic has resulted in Russian forces losing 41 armoured vehicles, including 17 tanks, over the past three days.

Oleksandr Shtupun, Spokesman for the Joint Press Centre of the Tavriia Defence Forces, noted that Russian forces usually use one or two tanks, several armoured personnel carriers and MT-LBs (tracked armoured vehicles) to transport infantry before a rapid withdrawal. Subsequently, Ukrainian forces target the armoured vehicles. Russian and Ukrainian sources reported that positional battles are ongoing to the northwest of Avdiivka near Stepove, Novokalynove and Novobakhmutivka; near the Coke Plant to the northwest of Avdiivka and the industrial zone to the southeast of Avdiivka; west of Avdiivka near Severne and southwest of Avdiivka near Pervomaiske and Nevelske.

To quote the ISW's Key Takeaways on 18 January:

• Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated that Russia's maximalist objectives in Ukraine remain unchanged and that Russia is not interested in negotiations with Ukraine or the West.
• The battlespace in Ukraine continues to be the centre of the technological offence-defence race between Russian and Ukrainian forces.
• Recent widespread GPS disruptions across Poland and the Baltic region are prompting speculation about the potential operation of Russian electronic warfare (EW) systems in the region.
• The French Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 18 January that it launched an "artillery coalition" to strengthen support for Ukraine amid continued Ukrainian statements that Russian forces in Ukraine have superior artillery capabilities.
• Ukrainian partisans and satellite imagery confirmed that Ukrainian strikes against occupied Crimea in late December 2023 sank a Russian Tarantul-class corvette near Sevastopol.
• The Ukrainian Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) reportedly conducted a successful drone strike on Russian military facilities in Leningrad Oblast on 18 January.
• The European Union (EU) Parliament voted to endorse another step in a rule of law procedure that could eventually suspend Hungary's voting rights after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban vetoed an EU vote for further military assistance to Ukraine.
• Russia and the Central African Republic (CAR) are in negotiations regarding Russian military basing in CAR.
• Russian forces made confirmed advances near Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and the Donetsk-Zaporizhzhia Oblast border area amid continued positional engagements along the front.
• Russian officials continue to target naturalised migrants as part of ongoing crypto-mobilisation efforts.
• Russian occupation authorities continue efforts to restore logistics infrastructure in occupied Ukraine.

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