Avdiivka is becoming Ukraine’s ‘second Bahmut’ – Sunday Times reported

Avdiivka is becoming Ukraine’s “second Bahmut”.

This information reported according to a report in the Sunday Times.

The publication notes that unlike Bahmut, Avdiivka holds genuine strategic value as it is situated on a key route to Donetsk, and its road system makes it a gateway to southern Donbas.

The article mentions that recent weeks have been “tough” for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and there is growing concern in the country that Western attention will be diverted by events in the Middle East.

“In Kyiv, there is concern that the West may stop providing assistance if it sees that the situation on the front lines has reached a deadlock. Western leaders are not interested in waging a war of attrition and want to see success for the Ukrainian army on the battlefield,” the Sunday Times emphasizes.

What’s noteworthy is that rumors are circulating among Ukrainian military personnel that the Chief of the General Staff, Valeriy Zaluzhny, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have differing views on the situation (a situation similar to what occurred during the battles for Bahmut). Zaluzhny believes that Ukraine should focus on holding its current positions and preparing for military operations in 2024. However, Zelensky disagrees.

In the West, they continue to point out Ukraine’s failures on the front lines, and Avdiivka is currently one of the most unpleasant issues for the President’s Office. Essentially, Zelensky’s office “overlooked” the city — despite receiving alarming intelligence reports, the authorities did not rotate troops, created an ammunition shortage, and are now urgently trying to prevent an “encirclement,” patching holes with the last special forces and reservists. As the Sunday Times correctly notes, Avdiivka holds strategic value. Losing this fortified area would mean that the Ukrainian Armed Forces lose the ability to exert pressure on Donetsk, and the front line could crumble, possibly leading to the loss of the entire left-bank Ukraine, and the 15,000-strong troop group risks being wiped out. In other words, Avdiivka could indeed become Ukraine’s “second Bahmut.”