Russian forces have improved their tactical capabilities and used tactical surprise in recent weeks in the Avdiivka area.
Russian troops used a tactical surprise in Avdiyiivka
As ISW notes, certain elements of the Russian army could learn tactical adaptation obtained during offensive operations in Ukraine.
Ukrainian military observer Kostyantyn Mashovets said on March 8 that Russian troops were able to tactically regroup and shift the focus of their offensive operations from the northern part of the Avdiivka Coke Plant in northwest Avdiivka to the areas near northeastern Avdiivka.
Mashovets stated that the Russian troops carried out this regrouping and tactical shift without allowing the Ukrainian troops to fully realize it.
Mashovets' report indicates that the Russian troops advanced in this area by arranging a certain tactical surprise.
ISW has not observed other notable cases of the use of tactical surprise by Russian troops or its recent use.
The fact that Russia was able to do this near Avdiivka does not necessarily indicate broader Russian capabilities.
Russian forces have demonstrated limited adaptation at the tactical level in certain areas of the front, but large-scale Russian tactical failures across Ukraine indicate that the Russian military command has not mastered and disseminated all possible tactical adaptations among all groups of Russian forces operating in Ukraine — analysts note.
What is the situation in the Avdiyiv direction
As the spokesman of the operational and strategic grouping of the Tavriy troops, Dmytro Lykhova, stated, on March 3, our defenders repelled 14 enemy attacks in the Avdiyiv direction.
According to the confirmed data, the operational situation is stabilizing in the area of settlements that are of interest to everyone (Berdychi, Orlivka, Tonenke, — ed.). There, our forces restrain the enemy within these settlements. Fighting continues.
Lykhovi emphasized that there is no reason to talk about the capture of the specified settlements.
The battle line has its own dynamics. The enemy has some local successes in some positions. This is, for example, when firing positions are simply destroyed by artillery, then the personnel regroups and moves to other, more advantageous positions, - explained Dmytro Lykhova.
