No reason to talk about withdrawal of Ukrainian garrison from Avdiivka yet - military expert Zgurets

Defense Express director and military expert Serhiy Zgurets notes that whether the garrison is withdrawn will depend on the ratio of forces and means, on real threats to Ukrainian defenders, primarily regarding supplies

He spoke about this on Espreso TV.

"The situation near Avdiivka remains difficult. Despite the deteriorating weather, the enemy continues to attack. And when we talk about the so-called Promka (industrial zone - ed.), which is in the direction of Yasynuvata southeast of Avdiivka, where there are dirt roads, the defense line there was considered quite strong. However, the enemy has been attacking in this area for a long time, and there is indeed progress in the area of Promka. The peculiarity of this area, as it was known before, is that there is a higher relief than Avdiivka, and reaching these heights allows the enemy to have fire control over longer distances. We can expect urban fighting there after some time," commented the military expert.

According to him, in addition to Promka, the enemy is trying to expand its presence in the north, moving towards Stepove and along the railroad. Enemy attacks continue from several directions, and the weather has not significantly affected the intensity of the Russian army's actions. Due to the weather conditions, the enemy has reduced the use of aviation but is using FPV drones, in particular on the road to Orlivka, which is the main supply route for our units.

"Overall, the situation remains difficult. And to a large extent, the question of whether or not to withdraw our garrison will depend on the balance of forces and means. But we understand that the enemy does not count losses and continues to attack almost the entire perimeter around Avdiivka. The issue of withdrawal of the garrison will depend on the real threats to Ukrainian defenders, primarily in terms of supply. But I have no grounds or conclusions to say that this should happen in the near future. So far, all the actions of our units along the perimeter of Avdiivka are holding the town. The enemy's losses are enormous. The dynamics are still hot," summarized Serhiy Zgurets.