Russian forces overcame the last pocket of resistance in Avdiivka, Ukraine. The military announced its takeover of the city’s huge chemical plant on Monday. Ukrainian withdrawal is a triumph for the Kremlin—even though the four-month battle was costly.
In recent days, Russian troops battered Avdiivka with glide bombs and relentless shelling. The onslaught left Ukraine’s defenders with no place to hide.
“The positions that we were holding were just annihilated,” says Rodion Kudriashov, deputy commander of Ukraine’s 3rd Assault Brigade.
With less aid coming from the West, Ukraine is running low on supplies. Ukrainian troops were so short of fire power that they “had to choose between targets,” Kudriashov says. Outnumbered and outgunned, they pulled back.
The Russian rout was a bleak reminder of Ukraine’s dependance on Western weapons and ammunition. It was also a morale boost for Russia. The capture comes days ahead of the two-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of its neighbor on February 24, 2022.
The sides were deeply uneven in favor of Russia, says Kudriashov. “If we are talking about infantry, it’s one to seven. If we are talking about military vehicles, it’s one to eight, and in terms of artillery, it’s one to 11,” he says.
With Ukraine’s weakness on display, Russia will likely continue its attack.
Still, some Western analysts believe Ukraine could keep Russia from building on its recent success. The strategy would involve new defense lines in the Avdiivka area and fresh units to restrain the Kremlin’s forces.
On Monday, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged his country’s long-term promise to Ukraine’s rebuilding effort. He stresses support for the war-torn country and calls it a future investment. Japan’s focus on reconstruction is in part due to its legal restraints on providing weapons.
Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal thanked Kishida. “Today is the new start of cooperation between the two countries,” he said.
However, the threat of ammo shortages hangs over Ukraine. Russia will likely aim to exploit that fact as U.S. lawmakers struggle to agree on more aid and Europe strives to increase production. Without U.S. funding, Ukraine is likely to start losing the war, say experts.
In his daily video address on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country is “doing everything possible and impossible” to defeat Russia.
On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. — Psalm 62:7
