Russia attacking Avdiivka 'from all directions,' says Kiev

KIEV

A third wave of Russian forces is attacking the eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka and systematically shelling the centre of the industrial hub, its Ukrainian head said on Nov. 24.

The nearly-encircled town near the Russian-held regional stronghold of Donetsk has faced a fierce onslaught for more than a month.

"The third wave [of assaults] began. They are attacking from all directions, from the flanks of the south and north, as they did before. They are attacking the industrial zone," Vitaly Barabash, the head of the town, said.

Avdiivka has been on the front line since 2014 and is part of the Donetsk region, which the Kremlin has claimed to have annexed along with three other regions.

"They are attacking from all sides, using a lot of infantry. Machinery went to the industrial zone, because the asphalt surface allows them to do so," Barabash told state media.

He said Russian forces were targeting Avdiivka with guided air bombs and cluster munitions resulting in between 30 and 40 "massive" strikes each day.

Meanwhile, Russia said it had destroyed 16 Ukrainian drones in the south of the country and over the annexed Crimean peninsula.

Late on Nov. 23, "an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack using aerial drones against sites on the territory of the Russian Federation was thwarted," Russia's Defense Ministry said.

"Air defence systems destroyed 16 drones, including 13 over the Crimean peninsula and three over the territory of the Volgograd region."