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In the Donetsk direction near Avdiivka, fighting for control of the city has been going on almost since the first days of a full-scale Russian invasion. In the front-line city, 100% of the buildings were damaged and more than 2.5 thousand civilians remain in it. Correspondent Alena Gramova spoke about this today, January 5, on the air of the FREEDOM TV channel.
According to the Ukrainian military, the fighting is taking place one and a half kilometers near Avdiivka. The situation is complicated, but it is fully controlled by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The Ukrainian soldiers denied the information of the pro-Russian media that street fights were allegedly taking place in Avdiivka. This is not true. Every centimeter is controlled and held by the APU.
In the city itself, residential buildings without windows from the shock wave, destroyed, burned down. At the same time, residents are partially returning to the city, despite the fact that it is unsafe. There are a lot of people of retirement age, a lot of chronically ill people, so medical workers are still there and provide assistance.
“Most of the employees who remained, in principle, also have children, some have grandchildren. Attachment to the profession, attachment to the city, many were born here, live here and hope to live here in the future. Some say they have nowhere to go,” said Vitaliy Sytnik, medical director of the Avdiivka City Hospital.
In Avdiivka, all communications have been missing since the first days of a full-scale war – for about 10 months there has been no water and gas, problems with communications, and electricity. At the same time, public utilities work.
During the day, there were lonely arrivals, which, as noted by the Ukrainian military, is unusual for Avdiivka. But towards evening the shelling resumed. According to the servicemen, about 500 meters away, artillery was working somewhere in the city.
“A few days ago, even “thermobars” used “Solntsepeki”, then it flew into the field, rockets were used, “Grad”. Everything that is from weapons, beat everyone. And in positions and, very sadly, they are hitting the city. Although they understand perfectly well that there are civilians in the city. And often they just get injured, and we constantly evacuate, but … “release”. In principle, as they “liberated” Mariupol, I think they want to free all the lands from civilization. What they free from is civilization, culture,” said a serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with the call sign “Chumak”.
The Ukrainian soldiers also said that the Russians smashed shops, humanitarian aid distribution points in order to destabilize the situation. There are no surviving stores, no pharmacies, no humanitarian headquarters. Everything is broken or burned down.
The Ukrainian defenders are positive – do not retreat, stay in the city, control the situation, because Avdiivka is Ukraine.
Gramova recalled that Avdiivka had been shelled by militants since 2014.
Earlier, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Ukrainian defenders over the past day destroyed 810 Russian invaders, 14 pieces of artillery and 20 pieces of enemy equipment.
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