British intelligence analyzes whether russia could capture Avdiyivka

The aggressor country of russia launched a coordinated offensive in several directions in the east of Ukraine.

This is stated in the intelligence review of the British Ministry of Defense for October 17.

British intelligence noted that the slow progress and heavy losses of the russian army in the offensive on Avdiyivka caused a change in messages from the russian side - from offensive to "active defense", as the capture of the city in the short term looks less and less likely.

Russia needs the combined offensive on Avdiyivka to overcome an obstacle on the way of the russian troops to their broader goal of establishing control over the Donetsk Region, the intelligence said.

The department indicates that the russian federation is advancing on Avdiyivka, probably with several armored battalions, which are trying to surround the city.

"This is probably the most significant offensive operation carried out by the russian federation since at least January 2023," the intelligence summarizes.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on October 16, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the week, russian troops had carried out about a hundred unsuccessful assaults in the Avdiyivka area.

On October 14, the head of the Avdiyivka Regional Military Administration, Vitalii Barabash, said that the occupiers were instructed to capture the entire Donetsk Region by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, the command of the russian occupation army transferred units of at least two brigades of the Central Military District to the Avdiyivka axis. With them, the russians want to strengthen the militants of the "DPR" grouping.