27 Mar: Untenable: Russians are leveling the city with the ground - Reporting from Ukraine

[TexasTowelie]

Day 397: March 27

The freshest reports suggest that Russian forces indeed established control over 2 out of 3 remaining Ukrainian strongpoints in Novobakhmutivka and got access to the highway because Ukrainian General Staff reported that there was an assault towards Keramik. However, after Ukrainians stabilized the situation around Stepove, Russian advances along the whole northern contact line stalled.

When it comes to the southern part of the region, the intensity of fights has only increased. Russian side released combat footage showing how they are using Anti-Tank Guided Missiles to target Ukrainian positions in front of the intersection. Despite the continuous fire, this still remains the lowest priority for Russians because it is heavily entrenched. The increased pressure from this side, therefore, is likely meant for fixing Ukrainian forces and assisting Russians who are advancing from Opytne.

In an attempt to develop their recent success here further, Russians started extensively using ATGMs in this direction as well. As mentioned in the combat footage, their main objective is to suppress Ukrainian machine gun fire and support Russian assaults. Nonetheless, Russians not only failed to develop their success further but also lost several recently gained positions. Ukrainian 110th Mechanized Brigade showed how they repelled Russian infantry assault supported with at least one tank. Ukrainians exploited the fact that Russian infantry was using the tank as cover and started using drones and mortars to target the area of concentration. Once the infantry was killed, the tank tried to retreat but was caught and destroyed on the run. In another assault, a Russian tank fired at Ukrainian positions, tried to quickly take cover but was destroyed by Javelin.

It looks like Ukrainians also conducted a counterattack and recaptured a huge trench network, as the video features how they are clearing the trenches and taking captives of those who were hiding in shelters. Ukrainian 36th Marine Brigade has also been conducting very effective preventative artillery strikes on Russian positions near Vodiane, destroying Russian assault units before they even launch their assaults.

Discouraged by the lack of progress, Russian forces switched to high-caliber artillery and mortar systems and air bombs. Russian 14th Artillery Brigade has reportedly targeted the area of the former military site in Avdiivka. Russian aviation conducted a series of airstrikes and destroyed numerous high-rise buildings. The main goal is to level with the ground the southern part of Avdiivka because as long as the residential area exists, Russians have no chance to conduct a successful frontal assault. Today Russians also started using incendiary munitions, in particular, special magnesium shells for Grad artillery systems. The main target of this strike became the chemical factory in the western part of the village, although a lot of houses burned down as well.

Russian sources reported that today Ukrainians started active evacuation from the town and are preparing to withdraw to avoid a complete encirclement. However, this is not entirely true. Just like in the case of Kupiansk, Ukrainians are evacuating the civilians because from today, water, gas, and electricity facilities will stop being maintained, and mobile internet will be shut off. Despite the fact that Avdiivka has been in the area of the active combat zone for 9 years, there are still around 2 thousand people that refused to evacuate voluntarily, but as Russians started just leveling the town with the ground and burning everything with incendiary munitions, Avdiivka was marked as the red zone, and no one is allowed to enter the town.

Overall, Ukrainians have stabilized the situation to the north of Avdiivka and continue preventing Russians from securing any gains to the south of Avdiivka. Despite the low threat of encirclement, Ukrainians had to launch an evacuation of civilians because Russians started erasing the town. It seems like Russians are committed to taking it because, firstly, they have already wasted a lot of resources on trying to soften up the Ukrainian defense, and secondly, they want to take advantage of the fact that most Ukrainian reserves are currently near Bakhmut.

[Irish_Dem]

1. The Russians want to destroy Ukraine, the land, the people, the history, the culture.

Wipe out any trace of Ukraine or its people.

[SouthernDem4ever]

2. It's sickening.

Russia is a terrorist state now guilty of genocide.

[Irish_Dem]

3. Yes they are. Same thing Hitler did.