 Sirsky throws the best trained reserves of the Ukrainian armed forces to defend Avdiivka. Ukrainian armed forces commander-in-chief Oleksandr Sirsky has sent the last of the Ukrainian army's trained reserves to defend Avdiivka, the first city that the Russian army could capture in nine months after taking Bakhmut in May 2023. According to Forbes, this refers to the third assault brigade of the army, which has been in reserve in Kramatosk since December. The brigade consists of about 2,000 people in armored vehicles. We are strengthening the defense line, creating additional firing positions and deploying fresh combat forces, confirmed Brigadier General Oleksandr Tarnavsky, commander of the Tavria group of troops in Avdiivka in his telegram channel. Meanwhile, the defense of Avdiivka, a key Ukrainian army stronghold in Donbas, has reached a critical point. Russian troops, who have been besieging the city for four months, have begun to break through the Ukrainian defenses and are one step away from cutting the main supply route for the Ukrainian forces. The situation is tense. If we said a few weeks ago that it was difficult but controlled, now it is very difficult, and we can even say that in some places there is a critical situation. Said Vitaly Barobash, head of Avdiivka's military administration. According to Forbes, the Ukrainian army forces had two options, to withdraw the remnants of the 110th brigade from the unprotected eastern part of the city and consolidate the defense line in the center of Avdiivka or near the city, or to send in reinforcements and try to push back the much larger Russian forces. As a result, Ukrainian troops decided to stay and fight, which poses a huge risk for Kiev, the newspaper notes.