Member-only story

Ukraine Forced Russia to Attack Avdiivka

They had no where else to go

Shankar Narayan
9 min readOct 29, 2023
Special Forces operating in a war zone (Licensed Image)

The war in Ukraine has been going on for nearly two years, but you can still pick up certain moments that set the stage for the future course of the battle.

Ukraine’s victory at Hostomel airport in the first week of the war, Russia’s triumph at Popasna in the middle of last year, Ukraine’s success in Kharkhiv late last year, Russia’s loss in Vuhledar early this year, Russia breaking the Nova Kakhovka dam in June, and now, the balance of the battlefield will completely depend on how much both sides lose in their battle for Avdiivka.

Russia’s decision to counter attack with numerous reserves holds merit. However, I strongly disagree with their chosen location and their execution of attacks. I am baffled by their approach, employing mass in a battlefield that inevitably overwhelms anything associated with size.

However, I can fully comprehend and articulate the reasons behind the Russian command’s decision to initiate such an extensive counter-attack against Ukraine.

Ukraine employs a “bite and hold” strategy as a countermeasure to Russia’s continuous defense-in-depth strategy. These two doctrines serve as the foundation for both sides, and they adapt and improvise as the conflict unfolds.

--

--

Shankar Narayan
Shankar Narayan

Written by Shankar Narayan

He didn't care what he had or what he had left, he cared only about what he must do.

Responses (13)