Russian forces storming Ukraine's Avdiivka en masse
The Hindu
Russian forces storm the Ukrainian town of Avdiivka, escalating the fight for control of the industrial hub.
Large numbers of Russian forces are storming the frontline Ukrainian town of Avdiivka, its Ukrainian Mayor said on February 8, escalating a months-long effort to capture the industrial hub.
Moscow launched a costly bid in October to seize the town, which has been caught up in fighting since 2014, when it briefly fell to Moscow-backed separatists.
"Unfortunately, the enemy is pressing from all directions. There is not a single part of our city that is more or less calm," Mayor Vitaly Barabash told state media.
"They are storming with very large forces," he added.
The capture of Avdiivka would provide a much needed victory for Russia, in the run-up to the second anniversary of its fully-fledged invasion and its March presidential election.
It would also mark the first significant change along the frontline in months, despite fierce and costly fighting that has stretched the resources of both sides.
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