Russia’s assault on a key eastern Ukraine city is weakening, Kyiv claims, as the war marks 600 days

By ILLIA NOVIKOV
Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Kyiv officials claim that a dayslong attempt by Russian forces to storm a strategically important city in eastern Ukraine appears to be running out of steam. The Ukrainian General Staff said Monday that Ukrainian forces repelled 15 Russian attacks from four directions on Avdiivka over the previous 24 hours. That compared with what another official were up to 60 attacks a day in the middle of last week, suggesting the Russian push was weakening. A Washington-based think tank broadly concurred with that assessment. As the Kremlin’s war entered its 600th day and with the looming onset of wintry conditions that will limit military operations, both sides have been seeking battlefield breakthroughs that could invigorate their efforts and raise morale.