You're reading: Ukrainian forces ‘repel attacks on Avdiyivka, push forward’

The fierce fighting in the Avdiyivka industrial zone has raged into a third day, with Ukrainian forces repelling repeated attacks by Russian-backed forces in the Donetsk Oblast city of 35,000 people some 700 kilometers southeast of Kyiv.

Over the past 24 hours, three Ukrainian soldiers were reported killed in action and at least 20 wounded. According to reports from Avdiyivka, Ukrainian troops are containing an attempted breakout by Russian-backed forces along the strategically important E-50 highway south of the city.

After making several failed attempts to push the Ukrainian troops away from the road overnight, the Russian-backed forces directed a barrage of artillery fire against Ukrainian positions, using 122-millimeter and 152-millimeter shells, as well as mortars and firearms, local military sources say.

“The situation is deteriorating so rapidly that the warfare intensity has increased to the level of that of the summer of 2014 in hours,” a military source told the Kyiv Post on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak publicly. “In fact, the whole battlefront north of Donetsk – from Pisky to Yasynuvata – is not a zone of stable trench warfare, but one of active hostilities.”

Ukraine’s military reported early on Jan. 31 that “the Russian occupation forces are not ceasing their assault operations.”

“The ATO command offered the opposite side a cease-fire for Jan. 31 to enable them to search for and recover the bodies of the dead in the battle area. However, the enemy side ignored this humanitarian step.”

Over the past two days of intense fighting, Russian-led forces have lost at least 60 combatants killed in action, the Ukraine’s 72nd Mechanized Brigade press officer Olena Mokriychuk claimed to the Kyiv Post.

Due to the dire humanitarian situation in the city, Ukrainian commanders have requested at least a temporary cease-fire, which was later approved and guaranteed by the Russian members of the Joint Coordination and Control Centre – a liaison body between the opposing forces made up of officers from the Ukrainian and Russian militaries.

The cease-fire was to have been observed from 10 a.m. and last until to 5 p.m., but the fighting has not ceased, Donetsk Oblast governor Pavlo Zhebrivskyi reported on Facebook on Jan. 31.

“One of the militant units opened fire and launched an assault,” the governor wrote. “Initially they requested a ceasefire, but they regrouped 10 minutes later and went on the offensive. Our forces repelled the attack.”

By noon on Jan. 31, Ukrainian forces had pressed forward towards Donetsk, taking up positions closer to the occupied town of Spartak, and crossing the highway leading to the city, according to a report by Ukrainian journalist Roman Bochkala posted on his Facebook page.

Local sources claim that the so-called Somalia Battalion, a Russian-backed armed group known for its involvement in the battles for Ilovaisk and Donetsk Airport, has lost approximately 40 percent of its soldiers. Its commander, a militant named Mykhailo Tolstykh – better known as Givi – was reported wounded and his deputy killed, but these reports have not been confirmed.

Heavy fighting has been reported along almost all of the frontline north of Donetsk, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense said on Jan. 31.

“The enemy has deployed an additional armored unit to Spartak and Donetsk Airport, and engaged it in combat yesterday. Ukrainian positions in Opytne and Pisky have received the heaviest tank fire since the fighting for Donetsk airport (a year ago),” the military official said.

“As usual, the enemy opened long range fire directly from residential areas in Spartak, Yasynuvata and Donetsk.”

As of 3 p.m. on Jan. 30 fighting for Avdiyivka was continuing, and more clashes were reported at the Svitlodarsk bulge – a section of the front near the town of Debaltseve, to the north and east of Donetsk.