Russian forces have recently made a confirmed advance southwest of Avdiyivka. Geolocated footage published on January 17 shows Russian forces assaulting and capturing a position east of Nevelske (southwest of Avdiyivka), the review of the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) for January 18 reads.

It is noted that Russian forces likely in the Avdiyivka direction are actively using armored vehicles to support and deploy dismounted infantry and that these tactics have led Russian forces to lose 41 armored vehicles, including 17 tanks, in the area in the past three days.

The review says that Russian forces typically use one or two tanks, several armored personnel carriers, and MT-LBs (tracked armored fighting vehicles) to transport infantry before withdrawing quickly, upon which Ukrainian forces strike the armored vehicles.

At the same time, the ISW reports says that positional engagements continued northwest of Avdiyivka near Stepove, Novokalynove, and Novobakhmutivka; near the Coke Plant in northwestern Avdiyivka and the industrial zone in southeastern Avdiyivka; west of Avdiyivka near Pivnichne; and southwest of Avdiyivka near Pervomaiske and Nevelske.