Ukraine Successfully Counterattacks At Avdiivka

The strategy appears to be hitting Russian forces on exposed flanks after failed attempts to advance weaken depleted Russian units. JL 

Olha Hlushchenko reports in Ukraine Pravda:

Ukrainian forces recently launched a counterattack near Avdiivka and recovered ground lost as of 1 December. Geolocated footage released on 4 December revealed Ukrainian forces charging at Russian positions south of Stepove. the Ukrainian General Staff reported unsuccessful Russian offensives east of the settlements of Novokalynove (10 km northwest of Avdiivka) and Novobakhmutivka (10 km north-east of Avdiivka), as well as near Avdiivka itself, Stepove, Pivnichne (5 km west of Avdiivka) and Pervomaiske (10 km south-west of Avdiivka).

Ukrainian troops are engaging the Russian occupying forces south of the village of Stepove, with fierce fighting raging near the coke plant and industrial area, as reported by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Source: ISW

Details: The report indicated that Ukrainian forces had recently launched a counterattack near the town of Avdiivka and had recovered the ground they had lost as of 1 December.

Geolocated footage released on 4 December revealed that Ukrainian forces were charging at Russian positions in a forested area south of Stepove.

At the same time, the Russian army pursued offensive operations on the Avdiivka front on 4 December and made confirmed advances.

Geolocation footage released on 4 December indicated that Russian troops had advanced around a water reservoir north of Avdiivka.

Furthermore, additional geolocation imagery released on 4 December revealed that Russian troops had pushed forward near Stepove (5 km northwest of Avdiivka).

Russian military bloggers (milbloggers) claimed that the Russian army had consolidated control over positions in and around Stepove. One of them claimed that the Russians had advanced 600 metres into the forest belt southeast of Stepove.

Russian milbloggers also claimed that heavy fighting was taking place near the Avdiivka Coke and Chemical Plant and in the industrial zone (southeast of Avdiivka).

The Russians claimed that the images supposedly featured soldiers of the Kozma Minin volunteer tank battalion based in the city of Nizhny Novgorod (Russia) operating in the Avdiivka industrial zone.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian General Staff reported unsuccessful Russian offensives east of the settlements of Novokalynove (10 km northwest of Avdiivka) and Novobakhmutivka (10 km north-east of Avdiivka), as well as near Avdiivka itself, Stepove, Pivnichne (5 km west of Avdiivka) and Pervomaiske (10 km south-west of Avdiivka).