Ukraine** Zelenskyy said on February 18 that his troops were facing complex fighting in parts of the vast front line and that delays in Western military aid had affected his army. Russian forces renewed their offensive in eastern and southern Ukraine and captured Avdiivka in the eastern Donetsk region, securing their first major victory since the capture of **Mut in May 2023. "The situation is extremely difficult in several areas of the front, where the Russian army has concentrated its largest reserves," Zelensky said. He was returning from a trip near Kupiansk, a northeastern city located in the Kharkiv front-line region. Zelenskyy went on to say that Russian forces "are taking advantage of delays in helping Ukraine," adding that his country faces a shortage of artillery and needs front-line air defense capabilities and long-range **. Earlier in the day, Ukrainian forces said they were facing "heavy fire" from Russian forces advancing in the southern Zaporizhzhia region.
Ukraine's senior commander, Tarnavsky, said Russia was launching multiple strikes near the village of Lobotny, one of the few places that Ukraine managed to regain during last year. In a Telegram post, he said Russia was trying to advance with a "small assault group of several armored vehicles." Tarnavsky, who commands Ukrainian forces in the region, said in a post on social **: "These offensive attempts are being halted, and the enemy is being eliminated on the outskirts of Robotny. ”
Earlier, Russian military blogs reported that Moscow troops are located on the southern edge of the village. Tarnavsky's spokesman said on state television early on the 19th: "The situation here is dynamic, the enemy is fierce. Like many settlements in eastern Ukraine, the Porozhye region has been completely razed to the ground by months of artillery fire. In recent weeks, Ukraine's defenses have been stretched thin due to a shortage of ammunition and manpower. The spokesman said that after the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Avdiivka, the Russians are "regrouping" and "may transfer troops to other sectors." "A few days before the second anniversary of the Russian invasion on February 24, Russia** Vladimir Putin praised the capture of Avdiivka as an "important victory" for his army.