Russians ease attacks in eastern Ukraine, devastated town may still be held by Kyiv

(Patria) - Russian forces eased attacks on the eastern Ukrainian city of Avdiivka on Saturday, and unofficial
reports from the region suggest they failed to capture the devastated town of Marinka in the southwest.

The Russian military has focused on eastern Ukraine since abandoning its advance on Kyiv in the early days after the February 2022 invasion. Since mid-October, the military has aimed to capture Avdiivka and its huge coke plant, Reuters reports.

Russian reports on Friday suggested its troops had taken control of Marinka, 40 km southwest, in fighting that has lasted more than a year. But unofficial Ukrainian reports on Saturday say its forces hold some areas.

Ukrainian military spokesman Oleksandr Shtupun told national television that Russian attacks on Avdiivka had halved in the past 24 hours, largely as a result of heavy losses.

"The coke plant is controlled by the Ukrainian armed forces," he said. "Enemy forces are trying to break inside, but they are suffering losses in personnel and equipment," Shtupun added.

Fighting remained intense, he said, in a neighbouring area outside the city centre known as the "industrial zone". The popular Russian war blog Rybar states that the zone has fallen under Russian control.

Vitaliy Barabash, head of the city's military administration, told Channel 24 television that Avdiivka "is starting to resemble Marinka, a settlement that essentially no longer exists. It has been razed to the ground."