"Russian Shells 10 Times More Than Ukraine's"... Russia Regains Momentum

Russia officially announced that it has fully captured Avdiivka, a strategic point in eastern Ukraine, amid reports that Russian offensives are intensifying across the entire eastern front of Ukraine. As the Ukrainian military's defensive capabilities have significantly weakened due to delays and reductions in Western military support leading to a severe shortage of shells, concerns are growing that Russian forces will launch large-scale offensives across the entire front.

On the 18th (local time), the Russian Ministry of Defense declared full control over Avdiivka, a strategic point in eastern Ukraine.
[Image source=TASS·Yonhap News]

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According to Russia's TASS news agency on the 18th (local time), the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that it had fully captured Avdiivka and advanced more than 9 km along the front line in that area. Previously, the Ukrainian military had announced a withdrawal from Avdiivka to avoid encirclement but maintained that the area was not yet completely fallen.

The Ukrainian forces, which had barely maintained balance on the eastern front, are now inevitably forced to reduce the front line comprehensively due to the fall of Avdiivka. The U.S. Institute for the Study of War (ISW) warned, "Avdiivka was a key base for air defense that blocked Russian fighter jet airstrikes on the eastern front of Ukraine. With its fall, Russian fighter jets can now easily bomb several cities behind the front lines," adding, "Due to reduced Western support, the number of Ukrainian air defense missiles and shells has significantly decreased, and going forward, Russian forces will gain air superiority over a much wider area."

Russian President Vladimir Putin also personally sent a congratulatory message on the capture of Avdiivka on the same day. Major foreign media outlets evaluated, "The capture of Avdiivka is the biggest achievement since Russia took control of Bakhmut in May last year," and "It has greatly boosted the morale of Russian forces ahead of Putin's re-election bid next month."

It is already known that the number of Russian shells on major fronts is more than ten times that of Ukraine, gradually pushing Ukraine into a defensive stance. Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, commander of the Tauria Operational-Strategic Group in southeastern Ukraine, previously pointed out on his Telegram account that "the enemy has a tenfold advantage in shells."

If Russian forces launch a large-scale offensive and pressure the front lines in the future, there is also a possibility that Russian troops could create breakthroughs in some areas. The New York Times (NYT) warned, "Russian forces have been pressing attacks along almost the entire 600-mile (approximately 970 km) front line over the past few weeks," adding, "Ukraine is probably in the most precarious situation since the first few months of the war."

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