Ukraine War Maps Reveal Areas of Fighting As Russia Renews Avdiivka Push

Kyiv's forces have repelled a Russian offensive towards Avdiivka, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said as it revealed areas of fighting in eastern Ukraine in its most recent map.

The think tank said Kremlin forces mounted another push on Avdiivka, just north of the Russian-held city of Donetsk, and managed to make marginal gains northwest of the settlement, according to geolocated footage posted on October 21.

A General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine statement said: "The enemy (Russia) keeps trying to encircle Avdiivka, but the Ukrainian soldiers are standing their ground, inflicting major losses on the enemy."

"However, Ukrainian military officials noted that Russian forces have somewhat decreased the pace of offensive operations near Avdiivka on October 21, and reiterated earlier Ukrainian reporting that Russian forces lost 50 tanks, 100 armored vehicles, and 900 personnel during attacks on Avdiivka on October 19," the ISW said in its October 22 campaign assessment.

Newsweek was unable to immediately verify the details in the report and has contacted the Ukrainian General Staff and the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment via email.

The ISW regularly provides maps that show updated battlefield positions in Ukraine and has indicated a slight increase in claimed Russian control around Avdiivka in its latest map.

The town sits at the top of a hill and would make Donetsk easier to defend against a Ukrainian attempt to capture the city should Moscow's troops succeed in taking Avdiivka.

Russia's continued commitment to send waves of personnel and equipment to the area surrounding Avdiivka led the ISW to conclude that the country's commanders would prioritize the territory despite high losses and "the general low quality of Russian forces in the offensive."

"A Ukrainian military official noted that Russia's regular infantry and tactics are 'consistently bad' and that Russian forces are relying instead on unmanned aerial systems (such as Lancet drones), artillery, and aviation.

"It appears that Russian forces are continuing to use ineffective and costly tactics in offensive efforts near Avdiivka, leading to high personnel and vehicle losses, and that they have continuously done so in several waves of attacks over the past week suggests that the Russian military command is prioritizing this axis, despite continued and growing losses."

The U.K.'s Ministry of Defense (MoD) also said the flawed offensive on Avdiivka had a devastating effect on its armed forces, adding it had contributed to a 90 percent increase in personnel losses recorded by Kyiv's military.

Colonel Oleksandr Shtupun, a spokesman for Ukraine's Tavria group of forces that covers Avdiivka, told Newsweek on Tuesday that around 800 Russian troops had been dying a day during the opening phase of the offensive. He also estimated Russia lost 3,000 soldiers and 61 tanks in the first five days of the assault.

According to the MoD, Russia has suffered between 150,000 and 190,000 permanent casualties, which includes those killed and wounded beyond the ability to serve, since the Kremlin started its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.