Russia tries to reign in international confusion with its largest offensive in Donbas

Russia is trying to take advantage of the division that the war between Israel and Hamas has caused in the international community, as well as the blockade by some European countries on the supply of weapons to Ukraine, with its largest military offensive in the heart of Donbas.

As reported on Saturday by the Ukrainian General Staff, Russian troops continue to try to advance by all means towards the strategic town of Avdivka, located a few kilometers from the city of Donetsk, although at the cost of the greatest losses in tanks and armor since the beginning. of the contest more than 20 months ago.

The first major Russian motorized wave on the outskirts of Donetsk began in mid-October, just after the Islamist group Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel.

Total offensive, insufficient results

Russia, which has barely conquered a Ukrainian bastion (the Wagner Group took Bakhmut in May) since mid-2022, has between its eyes taking full control of Donbas. To do this, you must first take Avdivka.

Russian and foreign experts agree that Russian troops have indeed advanced throughout the most militarized area of ​​Ukraine, but the territorial gains are not very significant at the moment.

They estimate that the Russians have managed to reduce the corridor through which Ukrainian troops receive reinforcements and supplies from nine to seven kilometers in recent weeks.

The Tavria operational group of the Ukrainian Army reported today that Russia did not stop trying to “surround” Avdivka in the last 24 hours, but at the cost of numerous casualties. kyiv estimated the casualties in the fifteen attacks carried out by the enemy in Donetsk at 529.

kyiv is hoping for one last desperate Russian attempt with motorized cavalry before rain and snow make the roads of eastern Ukraine impassable.

Thousands of Russian casualties and hundreds of armored vehicles disabled

After much speculation, the Ukrainian Minister of Defense, Rustem Umérov, today put the dots on the losses suffered by the Russians in the battle for Avdivka in a telephone conversation with the US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin.

“He reported on enemy casualties in these same minutes in the Avdivka area: approximately 4,000 soldiers,” the Defense Ministry statement said.

To this we should add the more than 400 vehicles – from tanks to armored vehicles – disabled, almost four times more than what Moscow lost at the beginning of the year in the failed assault against Vugledar.

In a demonstration of Russian desperation, White House spokesman John Kirby charged that Moscow would be summarily executing soldiers who disobey orders.

To this must be added the information in the Russian press that Russia had recruited Ukrainian prisoners of war to fight in the neighboring country, which would be a violation of the Geneva Convention.

Russia finds allies

The Kremlin has managed to add a new ally to its cause. It is the Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico, who said he did not believe in a military solution to the conflict and rejected sanctions against the Russian energy sector.

Furthermore, he did not hesitate to describe Ukraine as “one of the most corrupt countries in the world” as an argument to block military aid from the European Union, estimated at 50 billion euros in the next four years (2024-27).

Along the same lines, Hungarian Prime Minister Víctor Orbán advocated for a ceasefire, arguing that Ukraine is incapable of achieving victory “on the battlefield.”

Next, he was “proud” of his contacts for peace with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and blocked the latest community disbursement of 500 million euros in weapons.

However, Germany sent IRIS-T air defense systems and MARS II anti-aircraft missiles to kyiv; while Denmark announced a huge military assistance package with T-72 tanks, armor, ammunition, assault weapons and drones worth 520 million euros.

And the US Pentagon also dispelled doubts by advancing another $150 million in aid that includes a new Patriot anti-aircraft battery, twelve NASAMS missile systems, 31 Abrams tanks and 20 Mi-17 helicopters.

In fact, Umerov also thanked Austin today for the recent supply of the ATACMS long-range missiles, four of which would have been intercepted by the Russian army, as Moscow reported on Saturday in its latest war report.

“The continuation of the supply of ATACMS will allow hitting military infrastructure and command posts deep in the enemy’s rear in the occupied Ukrainian territories,” the military note states. With EFE

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