Ukraine has announced plans to relocate troops to the Avdiivka region in order to fortify itself against severe circumstances. The town’s current population is less than 1,000, a significant decrease from its prewar population of 32,000.

According to a statement on Telegram, the 3rd Assault Brigade has been swiftly relocated to provide reinforcement to Ukrainian forces in the Avdiivka region.

According to the message, the state of affairs in the city is extremely dire. The opposing forces in our area are estimated to consist of about seven brigades.

The Donetsk oblast is facing the possibility of being taken over by Russia as their forces have surrounded the town on three sides, effectively cutting off all supply routes for the Ukrainian side. This attempt by Russia to capture the town began in October and by the end of January, their troops had reached the outskirts of the city. If Moscow were to successfully break through the Ukrainian defense, it would mark the largest territorial gain since last May.

Approximately 50,000 soldiers from Russia are currently stationed on the front line in Avdiivka. The number of tactical groups has also increased.

According to Ukrainian military spokesperson Dmytro Lykhoviy, there is currently a maneuver taking place in Avdiivka where our units are being relocated to more strategic positions. This is being done in some areas to dislodge the Russian forces from their current positions.

Maksym Zhorin, the second-in-command of the unit, stated that the current conflict is more intense than previous battles. This is due to the fact that Kyiv’s forces are greatly outnumbered and outgunned. The soldiers are exhausted from nearly two years of fighting with limited access to artillery resources.

The commander of a brigade remarked that the battles in Avdiivka are significantly more intense than the most intense battles in Bakhmut during this phase of the war.

Bilateral agreement

On Friday, during his visit to Paris, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will sign a bilateral security agreement with France.

The office of French President Emmanuel Macron revealed on Thursday that a deal has been made, although no specific information about the deal was given.

The French presidency stated that during Zelenskyy’s visit, Macron will confirm France’s commitment to stand with Ukraine and its people for the foreseeable future, alongside its allies.

The office of Zelenskyy announced that he will be heading to Germany on Friday for discussions with Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

The gatherings are scheduled amidst a series of international events this week, such as the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, which Zelenskyy plans to participate in.

Defense chiefs from NATO gathered in Brussels on Thursday to discuss ways to continue supporting Ukraine in its fight against a full-scale Russian invasion that started almost two years ago.

On Thursday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called for an increase in defense production among allies in order to provide Ukraine with necessary weapons, supplies, and ammunition.

Stoltenberg stated that he anticipates the U.S. Congress will reach a consensus on providing a new assistance plan for Ukraine, as their funding ended in December.

The leader of NATO informed journalists that providing assistance to Ukraine is not an act of generosity. Instead, it is a means of safeguarding our own security.

Ukrainian skills hailed

On Thursday, Stoltenberg commented on the destruction of a Russian navy landing ship in the Black Sea by a Ukrainian attack, highlighting the significance of support for Ukraine’s military.

Yesterday, the Ukrainians successfully attacked a Russian naval ship, showing the capabilities and proficiency of the Ukrainian military in carrying out deep strikes behind Russian borders. This statement was made by Stoltenberg to reporters.

The Ukrainian armed forces confirmed that the vessel responsible for the attack was the Russian ship named Caesar Kunikov, which was located in the vicinity of Alupka, a city in Crimea.

The Kremlin declined to comment when questioned about the attack on Wednesday.

The Black Sea fleet of Russia has suffered damage to multiple ships due to the invasion by Ukrainian forces.

On Thursday, Ukraine reported that multiple regions were hit by Russian missiles, while officials in Belgorod, Russia confirmed that a Ukrainian attack resulted in the deaths of five individuals.

According to Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Belgorod region, 18 more individuals were injured during the Ukrainian attack.

The Defense Ministry of Russia stated that they have successfully destroyed 14 rockets in the Belgorod region, which is in close proximity to the Ukrainian border and has been targeted by numerous attacks from Ukraine.

Ukrainian authorities reported that the Russian missiles launched on Thursday resulted in the deaths of at least seven individuals and caused damage to several structures. Subsequently, four additional people were killed in a subsequent assault.

Officials from Zaporizhzhia announced that four individuals were injured and a school and a shop were damaged due to the Russian assault.

Russian missiles also targeted the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, where officials said that air defenses were able to shoot down all of them and that there were no reported injuries.

According to the Ukrainian air force, Russia fired a total of 26 missiles, but half of them were successfully intercepted by Ukrainian air defenses.

The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Radio Free Europe, and Reuters all provided information for this report.

Source: voanews.com