Ukraine Army braces for Russian attack on key town after repelling several assaults

The Ukrainian military said on Tuesday (November 7) that it had repelled a Russian assault and was bracing for a new Russian attempt aimed at key frontline town Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine. Russia is dug in along the 1000 kilometre (600-mile) long frontline in eastern Ukraine after its initial attempts of marching on Kyiv failed in early days of the Ukraine war.

Ukraine has not made any significant progress in its counteroffensive which was initially expected to yield rapid results. The counteroffensive was launched in the eastern and southern parts of the country in June.

Ukraine's General Staff has now said that Ukrainian forces had repelled 15 attacks near Kupiansk and 18 attacks near Maryinka.

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Russia has made fresh attempts to take Avdiivka since mid-October. The Ukrainian army has said that nine Russian attacks were repelled.

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Vitaliy Barabash, head of Avdiivka's military administration, has said that several days of rain means that a fresh Russian advance is not immediately expected.

"We've had nearly a week of heavy rain," he told the public broadcaster Suspilne. "The terrain is too difficult and equipment cannot move."

The official added that the Russians have been shelling the coking plant in the town.

The village of Avdiivka has become somewhat of a symbol of Ukrainian resistance in the face of Russian attacks. The village is seen as a key point and a gateway to areas in the east that Ukraine aims to take back. Donetsk is just 20 kilometres from Avdiivka.

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The town was briefly occupied by Russia-backed separatists in 2014. Ukrainian forces then retook the town and built considerable fortifications around it.

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Barabash said that only six people remain in Avdiivka which had a pre-war population of 32,000. The last sixteen workers who were keeping the coking plant working have also been evacuated.

The six people who remain, apart from troops, are two doctors and four nurses.

"These are our city's angels," Barabash told Suspilne.

(With inputs from agencies)