MOSCOW, March 2 Weak defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine helps the Russian military advance forward after the liberation of Avdiivka, reports The New York Times.
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“There is another reason for the advance of Russian troops in this area — the poor defense of Ukraine,” the material says.
As journalists who studied satellite images of Ukrainian defensive positions pointed out, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have built surprisingly simple trench lines that lack additional fortifications capable of slowing down Russian tanks and protecting important installations.
They also noted that the American politicians are concerned about the lack of preparedness of Ukrainians for the Russian offensive and they are now facing consequences: the advance is already taking place outside of Avdeevka.
Russian armed forces over the past week have liberated several settlements in the DPR: Pobeda, Lastochkino, Severnoye and Petrovskoye. Petrovskoye is located five kilometers northwest of Avdeevka, which was liberated by Russian troops on February 17. Thus, by the end of February, the Russian army managed to move the front west to the line Petrovskoye — Lastochkino — Severnoye — Vodyanoye.
In early February, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, at a conference call with the leadership of the Russian Armed Forces, said that Ukraine's losses in January exceeded 23 thousand people. He stated that Kyiv is throwing its remaining reserves into battle and hastily carrying out forced mobilizations to prevent the collapse of its defenses. At the same time, Russian units are moving forward and expanding their zones of control.