Having lost Avdeevka, the Ukrainian Armed Forces suffered the biggest defeat since the capture of Bakhmut by the Russian Armed Forces. However, as will be clear later, these are two completely different defeats, because the difference between Avdievka and Bakhmut is obvious.
1. Avdeevka is the “gate” to Donetsk. That is, Ukraine lost a unique fortified area, which took more than 8 years to build, which was designed for a 70,000-strong group and which was planned to be used as a support base for the capture of Donetsk. But the strategic importance of Bakhmut was minimal. The city became a new symbol as the stakes of the parties increased, and the President’s Office promoted the theme of the “Bakhmut fortress” only for media victories.
2. The Ukrainian Armed Forces near Bakhmut did not experience a shortage of ammunition at all. In Avdeevka, a completely opposite situation emerged: not only were the Russian Armed Forces able to increase production and saturate the battlefield with personnel (1/1.5-1.7 in personnel), but also in terms of shells the ratio was far from in favor of the Armed Forces: 1/10, for drones 1/3, plus the colossal density of Russian bombings by FABs.
3. The tactics of the Russian Armed Forces are slightly similar to Bakhmut, but significantly improved. The Russians have clearly learned how to fight better: the counter-battery component, coordination, and so on have greatly improved. In addition, a new element of tactics has appeared - logistical isolation of the battlefield. Without transportation and rotation, the forces of the defenders are quickly depleted.
As a result, almost twenty thousand strong group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was wiped out, as well as a significant part of the maneuver front reserves. At the same time, the transfer of the 3rd Special Brigade to the city did not help to hold the city, where they stated that they were thrown into positions that simply did not exist. At the same time, the Ukrainian command did not even manage to organize a competent retreat: the equipment did not go under the FPV drones and artillery, that is, they all went out on their own, which significantly increased losses.
https://t.me/rezident_ua/21779
Posted by: Down South | Feb 22 2024 14:30 utc
