Russian troops capture part industrial zone in Avdiivka – ISW

Russian troops have confirmed their advance to the northwest and southeast of the city of Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast on 26 November.

Source: Institute for the Study of War (ISW)

Details: Geolocation footage posted on 26 November shows that Russian troops have advanced slightly northwest of Krasnohorivka (7 kilometres northwest of Avdiivka) and in the eastern part of the industrial zone on the southeastern outskirts of Avdiivka.

Geolocated video footage on 26 November shows Russian armoured vehicles attacking Ukrainian positions in the northern part of the industrial zone on the southeastern outskirts of Avdiivka.

Russian military bloggers mostly claimed that Russian forces occupied the entire industrial zone near the Yasynuvata-2 railway station on 26 November, but ISW did not see any visual confirmation of such claims.

Update: The advance of the Russian army along the Avdiivka industrial zone and Yasinovatsky lane means that they managed to break through the main defensive fortifications of the Ukrainian army on this front.

According to Ukrainska Pravda, the servicemen on the Avdiivka front reported that the Russians destroyed Ukrainian fortifications from tanks. 

The capture of the industrial zone will potentially entail street fights in the city of Avdiivka.

In addition, Russian troops continued their offensive operation on the Kupiansk-Svatove-Kreminna line on 26 November, achieving a confirmed advancement. Geolocation footage posted on 26 November shows that Russian troops had advanced slightly to the southwest of Pershotravneve (24 kilometres east of Kupiansk).

Ukraine’s General Staff reported that Ukrainian troops repelled Russian attacks near Synkivka (8 kilometres northeast of Kupiansk), Ivanivka (20 kilometres southeast of Kupiansk), Novoselivske (14 kilometres northwest of Svatove) and near Serebrianka Forest (10 kilometres southwest of Kreminna).

Ukraine’s General Staff reported that Ukraine’s Defence Forces continued their assault operations south of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast on 26 November, inflicting losses in manpower and equipment on the Russians.

Russian troops continued unsuccessful offensive operations to the west and southwest of Donetsk on 26 November.

To quote the ISW’s Key Takeaways on 26 November:

• Russian forces conducted a series of Shahed drone strikes on Ukraine on the night of 25-26 November.
• The Ukrainian Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) reportedly conducted a large-scale drone strike on Russian territory, and Russian occupation officials accused Ukrainian forces of launching a strike on occupied Donetsk Oblast that resulted in widespread power outages.
• Russian forces reportedly complained about the vulnerability of Russian ground lines of communication (GLOCs) in the east (left) bank of Kherson Oblast.
• Russia continues to face skilled and unskilled labour shortages amid inconsistent and contradictory Kremlin policies that disincentivize Russians who fled Russia and migrant workers from working in Russia while simultaneously trying to increase Russian industrial capacity and force generation.
• Russian forces continued attacks along the Kupiansk-Svatove-Kreminna line, near Bakhmut, near Avdiivka, west and southwest of Donetsk City, in the Donetsk-Zaporizhzhia Oblast border area, and in western Zaporizhzhia Oblast and advanced in some areas.
• The Russian Supreme Court ruled that certain Russian mobilised individuals have the right to serve in the Russian Alternative Civil Service (AKS) rather than on the front lines.
• Russian occupation officials continue to establish programs aimed at indoctrinating Ukrainian children in occupied Ukraine into Russian national and cultural identities.

Support UP or become our patron!