On February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a full-scale invasion into Ukraine, severely escalating a war that started in 2014, producing the largest and bloodiest war in Europe since World War II.
Since the initial invasion, Russian troops have been slowly pushing their way through Ukraine, incurring heavy casualties as the Ukrainian military and militia desperately try to stall, and in some cases, push back against Russia’s ongoing offensive. Recently; however, Russian forces have secured the city of Avdiivka after months of bloody combat. This is an enormous victory for Russia, and a devastating loss for Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently commented on this new development, “Ukrainians have proven that we can force Russia to retreat… we can get our land back, and Putin can lose, and this has already happened more than once on the battlefield.”
While indeed, the fall of Avdiivka is a significant blow to the Ukrainian war effort, President Zelenskyy believes that his forces will rally, and eventually drive the Russians back and out of the city.
Donetsk, a major city just 36 minutes away from Avdiivka, appears to be Russia’s next objective. Russian troops are already approaching the city, and Ukrainian forces within Donetsk are prepared for a defensive battle.
