[1/3] A view shows grain warehouses heavily damaged by a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, at a compound of a port in Odesa region, Ukraine October 12, 2023.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukrainian forces were holding their ground on the third day of battle, but municipal officials said the Russian attacks were relentless.
It is Ukrainian courage and unity that will determine how this war will end," Zelenskiy wrote on the Telegram messaging app alongside photos of Ukrainian troops and of Avdiivka's entrance sign.
Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces had inflicted damage on Ukrainian forces in areas including Avdiivka but gave few details.
In other fighting, Ukraine said it had thwarted an attempt overnight by a Russian eight-member saboteur group to cross its northeastern border in the Sumy region.
Persons:
Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Vitaliy Barabash, Barabash, Oleksandr Shtupun, Andriy Yermak, Olena Harmahs, Alex Richardson, Timothy
Organizations:
Press, REUTERS Acquire, Moscow, Special Operations Forces, Russian, Russia's Defence Ministry, Timothy Heritage, Thomson
Locations:
Russian, Ukraine, Odesa region, Handout, Russia, Ukraine Ukraine, Ukrainian, Avdiivka, Kyiv, Moscow, Donetsk, Crimea, American, Odesa, Sumy