The US has issued a warning that Russia may take control of Avdiivka, a crucial eastern town in Ukraine that has been the site of intense fighting in recent months. According to National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby, Ukraine’s ammunition shortages put Avdiivka at risk of falling under Russian control. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has pledged to do everything in his power to protect Ukrainian lives.
Russian forces have advanced in Avdiivka, threatening to surround the town. Avdiivka, which has been almost totally destroyed, is viewed as a strategic gateway to Donetsk, a regional Ukrainian capital that was taken by Russian-backed fighters in 2014 and subsequently unlawfully annexed by Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. At a briefing in Washington, Mr. Kirby stated that Avdiivka could fall primarily due to the depletion of artillery ammunition by Ukrainian forces on the ground.
Despite the US Senate approving a $95bn foreign aid package, including $60bn for Ukraine, it still faces challenges in the House of Representatives. Ukraine heavily relies on weapons supplies from the US and other Western allies to continue its fight against Russia.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned that the delay in US approval for continued military aid to Ukraine is already affecting the battlefield. Russian forces are now reaching Ukrainian trenches in Avdiivka, threatening to overpower Ukrainian defenses.
President Zelensky is expected to sign security agreements with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron during his visit to Berlin and Paris. A similar agreement was signed between Ukraine and the UK in January.
Ukrainian General Oleksandr Tarnavsky acknowledged that intense battles are taking place within Avdiivka. He emphasized that preserving the lives of Ukrainian soldiers is their highest priority. Ukraine’s military spokesman Dmytro Lykhoviy admitted that Ukrainian troops in Avdiivka are sometimes forced to relocate to more advantageous positions.
Ukraine’s newly appointed commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, visited the frontline in the Avdiivka area this week, acknowledging the challenging situation there. He criticized the Russian military for disregarding its troops’ losses. According to unverified reports, Russian military bloggers claimed that a key Ukrainian defense position in southern Avdiivka is now under Moscow’s control.
