Ukrainian senior officials and soldiers reported on Thursday that Russia, after weeks of bombing the eastern city of Avdiivka, is now deploying troops towards the strategically significant but devastated area in eastern Ukraine. The troops are facing significant casualties.

“According to Oleksandr, a deputy of the 47th mechanized brigade in Ukraine, the fields are filled with dead bodies,” said Agence France-Presse.

He stated that they are attempting to overwhelm our communication channels by continuously launching attacks. He chose not to share his complete name due to security concerns.

This approach mirrors the tactics employed by Russia when taking control of Bakhmut, a city that was ultimately conquered.

Since the middle of October, the Ukrainian government claims that Russia has been attempting to take control of the small city, but has been unsuccessful. The city is located on the front line, approximately 5 kilometers away from Donetsk, which is the capital of the region currently under Russian control. This region is one of four that Russia has claimed to have annexed from Ukraine.

In 2014, separatists supported by Russia seized control of Avdiivka. However, Ukrainian forces quickly regained control and have since strengthened its defenses.

According to Vitaliy Barabash, the head of Avdiivka’s military administration, there are currently around 1,400 residents left in the city. This is a significant decrease from the city’s prewar population of 32,000. Barabash also described the intensity of the Russian attack as severe.

Barabash, speaking on Channel 24 television, stated that the city experiences an average of eight to 16 to 18 air attacks per day, with occasional spikes up to 30. He also mentioned that they do not have the luxury of counting each attack. Avdiivka is seldom mentioned in Russian reports on the war.

Reuters was unable to confirm battle reports from both sides through independent means.

On Thursday, Ukrainian officials reported that four individuals were fatally wounded and five were injured in a Russian attack in the southern area of Kherson in Ukraine.

According to Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, the attack caused damage to over 60 residential and infrastructure structures.

According to Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine’s presidential office, there is preliminary evidence suggesting that the shelling involved the use of cluster munitions. However, VOA was unable to confirm this report through independent means.