Ukraine says it will strategically redeploy troops to the Avdiivka area to strengthen itself against “extremely critical” conditions. The town now has fewer than 1,000 residents, despite its prewar population of 32,000.
"The 3rd Assault Brigade confirms that it was urgently redeployed to strengthen Ukrainian troops in the Avdiivka area," the brigade said on Telegram.
"The situation in the city ... is extremely critical. ... The enemy's forces on our section have approximately seven brigades," the message said.
The area in the Donetsk oblast is at risk of falling into Russian control as forces surround three sides of the town, blocking all nonalternative supply routes for the Ukrainians. Russia has been trying to capture the town since October. By late January, Russian troops had reached the city's outskirts. If Moscow were to breach the Ukrainian line, it would be the most significant territorial gain since last May.
Russia has placed about 50,000 troops on the Avdiivka front, with its tactical groups growing in number.
"In Avdiivka a maneuver is underway in some places to withdraw our units to more advantageous positions, in some places to force [the Russians] out of positions," Ukrainian military spokesperson Dmytro Lykhoviy said in televised comments.
According to Maksym Zhorin, the deputy commander of the unit, the intensity of the conflict surpassed previous battles, with Kyiv's forces facing significant numerical and firepower disadvantages there. The troops are tired after fighting for almost two years with sparse artillery resources.
"The battles in Avdiivka are many times more hellish than the hottest battles of this phase of the war, which were in Bakhmut," a brigade commander noted.
Bilateral agreement
France and Ukraine are set to sign a bilateral security agreement Friday when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits Paris.
French President Emmanuel Macron’s office announced the development Thursday but did not provide details about the deal.
During Zelenskyy’s visit, Macron will “reaffirm France’s determination to continue to provide unwavering support to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, over the long term and with all its partners,” the French presidency said.
Zelenskyy’s office said he would also travel Friday to Germany for talks with Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
The meetings come amid a flurry of international gatherings this week, including the Munich Security Conference on Saturday that Zelenskyy is due to attend.
NATO defense chiefs met Thursday in Brussels to discuss how to sustain their support for Ukraine in its battle against a full-scale Russian invasion that began nearly two years ago.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday that allies needed to increase their defense production “to ensure that Ukraine gets the weapons, the supplies, the ammunition it needs.”
Stoltenberg said he also expected the U.S. Congress to agree on a new support package for Ukraine. U.S. funding ran out in December.
The NATO chief told reporters that “supporting Ukraine is not a charity. Supporting Ukraine is an investment in our own security.”
Ukrainian skills hailed
Stoltenberg also said Thursday that a Ukrainian attack that destroyed a large Russian navy landing ship in the Black Sea showed the impact of support for Ukraine’s military.
“Just yesterday, the Ukrainians were able to strike successfully a Russian naval ship, and this demonstrates the skills and the competence of Ukrainian armed forces, also in conducting deep strikes behind Russian lines,” Stoltenberg told reporters.
The Ukrainian military identified the Russian ship as the Caesar Kunikov and said it was in the waters near the Crimean city of Alupka at the time of the attack.
When asked about the attack Wednesday, the Kremlin would not comment.
Ukrainian forces have destroyed several ships in Russia’s Black Sea fleet since Russia invaded.
Ukraine said Thursday that a wave of Russian missiles targeted several Ukrainian regions, while in the Russian city of Belgorod, officials said a Ukrainian attack killed at least five people.
Vyacheslav Gladkov, the Belgorod regional governor, said another 18 people were hurt in the Ukrainian attack.
Russia’s Defense Ministry reported destroying 14 rockets in the Belgorod area, which is near the border with Ukraine and has been the site of repeated Ukrainian attacks.
Ukrainian officials said the Russian missiles fired Thursday killed at least seven people and damaged multiple buildings. A following attack killed four more people.
Officials in the city of Zaporizhzhia reported four people wounded, with damage to a school and a shop from the Russian attack.
Russian missiles also targeted the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, where officials said that air defenses were able to shoot down all of them and that there were no reported injuries.
The Ukrainian air force said Russia launched a total of 26 missiles, with Ukrainian air defenses destroying half of them.
Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Radio Free Europe and Reuters.
