Avdiivka could have been held if issue of Russian aviation and artillery had been resolved - Biletskyi
Colonel Andrii Biletskyi, commander of the Third Separate Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said this during a speech at the Kyiv Security Forum, Censor.NET reports.
According to him, today's campaign is the most difficult - the enemy has started to fight with more resources.
"From time to time, I am asked whether it was possible to hold Avdiivka with the forces we had, and I say that yes, it was possible with two components. If we could solve two components in which Russia is completely dominant. These are the aviation component and the artillery terror," Biletskyi said.
According to him, the issue of the aviation component can be resolved with the help of more air defense systems.
The artillery component can be solved with more weapons and ammunition, as well as new counter-battery systems.
"If the Ukrainian army had had the ratio of forces that it had at the time, and for the sake of understanding, at the peak of the offensive on Avdiivka there were 7 Russians to 1 Ukrainian soldier, it would have been possible to hold the city in this situation if these two huge problems could have been solved," Biletskyi said.
He noted that these problems have not yet been resolved and remain critically important for Ukrainian defenders.
According to Biletskyi, the situation is extremely difficult, although there are definitely signs of stabilization. Ukrainian troops are doing everything possible and impossible to stop the Russians near Avdiivka, and this can be said as a fait accompli.
