British intelligence warns that Avdiivka situation is unfolding according to Bakhmut scenario

The British Ministry of Defence reports this on Twitter.

British military intelligence draws attention to the fact that over the past three weeks, Russian troops have made creeping gains around the Ukrainian-held city of Avdiivka, located north of Donetsk. The city has been on the front line since 2014 and is now largely destroyed.

Analysts claim that the operation was mostly carried out by mercenaries of the 1st Army Corps of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic who know the terrain well. The British assume that the sprawling complex of the Avdiivka Coke Plant will be considered a key location as the battle progresses. 

"Tactically, the situation is similar to that in the larger town of Bakhmut, further north. Ukrainian forces continue organized defence, but their supply lines to the west are increasingly threatened by the Russian envelopment operation," British intelligence concluded.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 20 March 2023.<br><br>Find out more about Defence Intelligence&#39;s use of language: <a href="https://t.co/RUOZvpV91Q">https://t.co/RUOZvpV91Q</a><br><br>???????? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StandWithUkraine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StandWithUkraine</a> ???????? <a href="https://t.co/ahiysSYYdz">pic.twitter.com/ahiysSYYdz</a></p>&mdash; Ministry of Defence ???????? (@DefenceHQ) <a href="https://twitter.com/DefenceHQ/status/1637711429024325632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

• On March 20, the AFU General Staff reported that Russia continues offensive in the Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Marinka, and Shakhtarsk directions.