AFU Counter-Attack Near Bakhmut And Avdiivka And Retake Several Positions

The Russians were forced to withdraw from the front line near the Avdiivka coking plant.

Ukrainian troops launched a counter-attack towards Bakhmut near Bohdanivka, capturing two positions previously held by Russian airborne troops.

The AFU also advanced east of the railway line near the Avdiivka coking plant, forcing the Russians to withdraw from two forward positions.

This was reported by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Situation in the Kharkiv and Luhansk oblasts

On 5 December Russian forces continued their offensive on the Kupyansk-Svatove-Kreminna line, but without any confirmed success. The AFU General Staff reported that Ukrainian troops repelled Russian attacks near Sinkivka, Petropavlivka, Novoselivske, Ternivske, Serebryanske Forest, Belohorivka and Sporne.

Russian bloggers claimed that Russian forces were attacking south and south-west of Lyman Perve, and that fighting was continuing near Serebryanka and Hryhorivka.

Nadezhda Zamryga, a spokeswoman for a Ukrainian brigade operating in the direction of Kupyansk, said on 5 December that Russian forces had reduced the density of artillery fire compared to late summer and were using tanks more frequently than in October last year.

The AFU General Staff said that Ukrainian forces were continuing offensive operations south of Bakhmut. A Ukrainian military observer said Ukrainian forces launched a counterattack near Bohdanivka and captured two positions previously held by units of the Russian 331st Airborne Regiment.

On 5 December, Russian forces continued localised offensive operations near Bakhmut, but made no confirmed advances. The AFU General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces repelled at least 11 attacks near Bohdanivka, Kleshchyivka and Andriivka.

A Ukrainian commander operating near Bakhmut said that AFU artillery units and drone operators had destroyed about 80 per cent of Russian equipment during the Russian attacks.

He added that Russian forces were concentrating on retaking previously lost positions near Bakhmut, using Storm-Z assault units for a strong frontal assault and more professional units, mainly airborne troops and Chechen elements, to find gaps in the Ukrainian defences.

Geolocation footage released on 5 December shows Russian forces allegedly advancing along a section of railway north of the Avdiivka coking plant.

The AFU General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces had repelled at least 23 Russian attacks east of Novobakhmutovka, north-east of Berdychi and near Stepne, Avdiivka, Severne and Pervomaiske.

On 4 and 5 December, Russian bloggers claimed that positional fighting continued near Krasnohorivka and that Russian forces had resumed their attack near Nevelskoye (14km south-west of Avdiivka).

The press service of the Ukrainian Tavrika grouping of forces said on 5 December that the Russian Federation had resumed air strikes from Su-25 fighter jets and Ka-52 helicopters near Avdiivka.

Ukrainian forces counter-attacked near Avdiiivka on 5 December. Geolocation footage released on 4 December showed Ukrainian troops advancing east of a section of railway north of the Avdiivka coking plant. A Ukrainian military observer said on 5 December that the AFU had forced Russian troops to withdraw from two forward positions.

A Russian "war correspondent" said that Ukrainian troops were counter-attacking near Stepnoye and pressing the Russian defences towards Novokalynove.

The AFU General Staff said that Ukrainian forces had repelled at least 13 Russian attacks near Mar'inka (immediately south-west of Donetsk) and Novomikhailivka.

According to Britain's Ministry of Defence, Russian forces reportedly control most of Mar'inka, while Ukrainian forces hold positions on its western edge.