BB.lv: Russian troops slowed down the offensive in the Avdeevka area

Previously, the Russian army was actively moving forward near Ocheretino, a settlement not far from Avdeevka, where the defense of Ukrainian troops had recently been broken through.

However, the authors of the ISW report conclude that on April 30, the Russian military did not achieve significant successes there – and at the same time, Russian sources reported intensifying attacks near Bakhmut, in the direction of the city of Chasov Yar.

Previously, ISW has repeatedly written that attempts by Russian troops to actively use the breakthrough near Ocheretino could interfere with a more operationally promising offensive on Chasov Yar, an important stronghold of the Ukrainian defense.

“One day’s data is insufficient to indicate a trend, but it may indicate that Russian forces are slowing down the pace of attacks near Avdievka and are again focusing their offensive efforts near Chasovoy Yar,” the report said.

According to ISW experts, Russian forces may decide to move from the Ocheretino breakthrough area towards Toretsk to help advance the attack on Chasov Yar. However, this maneuver would likely require a tactical pause to gather troops for such action, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

Toretsk is located near Bakhmut, northeast of Ocheretino.

At the same time, according to the authors of the report, during April 30, Russian forces continued to advance near Chasov Yar, and the day before, Russian military armies were spotted on the eastern side of the Seversky Donets-Donbass canal.