Ukraine War Map Shows Russia's 'Significant Tactical Advances' in Avdiivka

Russian troops have made gains near the Donetsk town which has been a focal point for fighting in the eastern Donbas region, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) whose map shows the latest state of play along the frontline.

Moscow's troops have made intensive efforts to encircle Ukrainian troops in the Pokrovsk direction, west of Avdiivka—the town captured by Moscow in February after months of fierce fighting, the Washington, D.C. think tank said on Monday.

As part of their push, Vladimir Putin's troops "have recently made significant tactical advances northwest of Avdiivka," the ISW said, noting geolocated footage showed Russia holding positions in western Novoselivka Persha, to the northwest of Avdiivka. This confirmed they had "recently seized the entire settlement."

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian General Staff said that Russian attacks were continuing at a high rate northwest, west, and southwest of Avdiivka.

The ISW's latest map of the area shows how Russian forces had captured this settlement on Monday as well as the settlements of Vovche and Lozuvatske further north three days earlier.

Russian sources have claimed that Moscow's forces have seized over half of Vesele and are moving toward the larger settlements of Novohrodivka and Selydove which are about eight miles west of the frontline. The ISW graphic also shows these gains as well as the Russian seizure of Yasnobrodivka on July 25.

Russian troops had advanced southwest of Donetsk city and on Monday, continued their offensive operations west and southwest of the regional capital, the think tank added. Newsweek has contacted the Russian and Ukrainian defense ministries for comment.

Further south, Russia had also begun attacking in the direction of Huliaipole in Zaporizhzhia Oblast after a long pause, Ukraine has said.

Dmytro Lykhovyi, spokesperson for Ukraine's Tavria group of forces, told Ukrainian television that Moscow's troops had attempted assaults "from two different fronts," the Kyiv Independent reported.

He said that Ukrainian intelligence believed it was "a continuation of the tactics of small assault actions" because the number of troops in Zaporizhzhia had not increased.

Earlier on Monday, Lykhovii had denied reports that Russia had made gains in other parts of Zaporizhzhia Oblast. He has disputed claims that Russia had likely seized Robotyne—liberated by Kyiv's forces last summer.

It comes as Ukraine awaits the full delivery of Western weapons which it hopes will shift the dial on the battlefield.

The German government said on Monday that it had given Kyiv eight Leopard 1 A5 tanks, 21,000 rounds of ammunition for Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, two Bergepanzer 2 armored recovery vehicles, 10 unmanned surface vessels and 10 ground surveillance radars.

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