Russian special military operation in Ukraine #53

JohninMK wrote:Is the coke plant outside the Russian controlled area?

EDIT Answered by Kiko below

JohninMK wrote:.....

But maybe for not much longer

Big_Gazza wrote:Coke plant has fallen.  

Big_Gazza wrote:What?  My coke plant has fallen???  But I'm down to my last few dime-bags....    

JohninMK wrote:The long walk, crying out for some straffing

PapaDragon wrote:
E tu, Julian?  

JohninMK wrote:The Armed Forces of Ukraine are carrying out excavation work at full speed on a new defensive line outside Avdeevka

Military correspondent Alexander Kots writes.

I have seen a 30y/o from 404 with no teeth.

but it is wrecking their economy.

 Kamala Harris is convinced 

This one's for you Z man:

E'voila, an average Ukro supersoldier.

try to hold on to the line Coke plant-Lastochkyne-Severne as long as possible,

Russians claim blue on blue

Hole wrote:
Shows you that Banderaland is a failed state.
As Supreme C-in-C the President has the right to fire anyone in the military, no matter if
those Generals like it or not.

This typical career was called the cursus honorum, the 'sequence of offices'. When one was elected consul, he had already shown what kind of man he was in several branches of government activity (the army, accounting, care for the temples and Games, justice); in other words, the Roman magistrates were not specialists but generalists.

JohninMK wrote:This ex army Swede knows his stuff.

Disciple cracked, they had only one way to get control back (preserve Azov) as they will really need their blocking forces now.

Mikael Valtersson
@MikaelValterss1
ANALYSIS FALL OF AVDIIVKA, EVENING FEB 17 2024
The fall of Avdiivka came faster than many, including myself, thought possible. Especially the fall of Khimik/9 Kvarter and the Chemical/Coke plant was a surprise. I had thought that UkrAF would try to keep the way of retreat out of Avdiivka, through Khimik, open for a week and try to hold on to the line Coke plant-Lastochkyne-Severne as long as possible, but it didn't happen.

The reason is very simple. UkrAF gave the order to immediately evacuate the entire city. Even though many Ukrainian soldiers thereby was abandoned. Those soldiers were told to surrender to save their lives. We don't know exactly numbers, but somewhere 500-2000 Ukrainian soldiers were abandoned and lost when fighting ended.

I understand the rationale behind this decision, even if its a sign of the desperation of UkrAF. But the abandonment of the Coke plant is an enigma to me. They needed the factory as a linchpin in their defence. Without the factory there will be a large hole in the Ukrainian defenceline. That nullifies much of the positive effects UkrAF got from the hasty abandonment of Avdiivka.

UkrAF relied on the Coke factory and has only limited defences  behind it. This gives RuAF a good opportunity to continue their offensive behind the factory and also tear up Ukrainian defences to the North from behind. It's hard to say when Ukrainian forces will be able to stabilise the frontline, at least temporarily, but RuAF will probably be able to establish a buffer zone in 1-2 weeks that totally eliminate the remaining salient (map 2). That's 15-20 km North to South and around 10 km in depth.

Why did UkrAF abandon the coke plant? They must have known about the consequences, since they are professionals. Probably due to a lack of fighting spirit in the troops locally and  the fear that 4000 more Ukrainian soldiers would be encircled and ultimately lost.

When we look at the bigger picture we must also answer the question of why UkrAF withdraw and abandoned not only Avdiivka, but probably the entire Avdiivka salient? It can't have been an easy decision since Ukrainian forces have defended this area steadfastly for 10 years and it was considered one of the best fortified positions in the world.

The answer must be that UkrAF realised that the forces defending Avdiivka and the salient wasn't enough, but that they couldn't send any more reinforcements. They took the wise decision to retreat and save as many soldiers as possible for the continued defence of the Donetsk (former Avdiivka) front. The Ukrainians are battered but are still able to put up a decent fight at that frontline.

Why couldn't Ukraine send more units to Avdiivka? They have already thinned the troops at several other frontlines to a dangerously low level and they can't continue doing that. The strategic reserves are very limited. The 3rd Assault (Azov) brigade came from that strategic reserve.

There is now a growing expectation for an all out offensive from the Russian side, all along the different frontlines. The meager reserves Ukraine has, must be husbanded well for such an eventuality. There is already a strong Russian push at the Kreminna, Bakhmut and South Donetsk fronts.

Large Russian forces are amassed at the Belgorod, Kupyansk and Zaporizhia fronts. All in all at least 150 000, maybe even 200 000, soldiers with lot of equipment. An activation of these frontlines would press Ukrainian defence forces to the uttermost. No wonder Ukraine must make territorial sacrifices to keep as many units combat worthy for the coming storm.

It's tragicomic to surrender or die in a Coca Cola plant.