In the battle for the Ukrainian city of Avdiivka, Russian forces again suffered heavy losses.
According to the Munich Merkur, Russia intended to carry out a surprise attack in the Donetsk region, as reported by the command of the Ukrainian Airborne Troops. “To achieve the effect of complete surprise, the enemy used smoke,” the command’s report stated on Sunday. However, Ukraine detected the advance in time, and the airborne troops’ artillery retaliated. Additionally, the Ukrainian military shared a video purportedly showing the Ukrainian counterstrikes. Ukraine’s anti-tank units engaged in the battle, after which Ukraine was able to “fire with precise shots from anti-tank missile systems.”
Death of twenty infantrymen not yet confirmed
Drones and other unmanned aircraft were also reportedly deployed. The military reported that Ukraine managed to destroy nine armored combat vehicles in one fell swoop. These are believed to include five tanks and four BMP-type infantry fighting vehicles, with twenty infantrymen also said to have been killed. These figures have not yet been verified, confirmed, or checked by independent sources. Therefore, they should be considered with caution.
Image: Kremlin.ru, Vladimir Putin (2022-12-16), CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (image size modified)