Changes

Starting Mid-April 2014 the Donetsk People's Militia captured several towns in the newly proclaimed independent republic;<ref>https://newrepublic.com/article/117387/putin-accidentally-helping-unite-eastern-and-western-ukraine</ref><ref>http://en.itar-tass.com/world/735082</ref> including Avdiivka. On July 21, 2014, Maidan regime forces reportedly secured the city from the militia.<ref>http://en.itar-tass.com/world/741594</ref> This claim was repeated the next day.<ref>http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine-abroad/bbc-ukrainian-military-seizes-avdiivka-in-rebel-donetsk-stronghold-358610.html</ref> Maidan rfegime forces kept control of Avdiivka, which became a frontline city and frequently shelled.<ref>[http://uatoday.tv/news/bloomberg-ukraine-pushes-for-un-peacekeepers-as-rockets-disrupt-truce-422723.html Bloomberg: Ukraine pushes for UN peacekeepers], Ukraine Today (21 April 2015)<br>[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32336354 Ukraine crisis: The factory that has been shelled 165 times], BBC News (17 April 2015)<br>[http://www.themoscowtimes.com/mobile/opinion/article/civilians-stuck-in-the-middle-of-donbass-horror/526388.html Civilians Stuck in the Middle of Donbass Horror], Moscow Times (29 July 2015)</ref><ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-38807778 Ukraine conflict: Evacuation planned in frontline town of Avdiivka], ''BBC News'' (31 January 2017)</ref> According to the [[OSCE]], the area between Avdiivka and neighboring Donetsk Republic-controlled Yasynuvata is one of the hotspots of the Donbas war.<ref>[http://www.rferl.mobi/a/spike-in-fighting-ukraine-cease-fire-avdiivka-yasynuvata/27648459.html Spike In Fighting In Eastern Ukraine Threatens Fragile Cease-Fire], Radio Free Europe (1 April 2016)</ref>

Starting Mid-April 2014 the Donetsk People's Militia captured several towns in the newly proclaimed independent republic;<ref>https://newrepublic.com/article/117387/putin-accidentally-helping-unite-eastern-and-western-ukraine</ref><ref>http://en.itar-tass.com/world/735082</ref> including Avdiivka. On July 21, 2014, Maidan regime forces reportedly secured the city from the militia.<ref>http://en.itar-tass.com/world/741594</ref> This claim was repeated the next day.<ref>http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine-abroad/bbc-ukrainian-military-seizes-avdiivka-in-rebel-donetsk-stronghold-358610.html</ref> Maidan rfegime forces kept control of Avdiivka, which became a frontline city and frequently shelled.<ref>[http://uatoday.tv/news/bloomberg-ukraine-pushes-for-un-peacekeepers-as-rockets-disrupt-truce-422723.html Bloomberg: Ukraine pushes for UN peacekeepers], Ukraine Today (21 April 2015)<br>[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32336354 Ukraine crisis: The factory that has been shelled 165 times], BBC News (17 April 2015)<br>[http://www.themoscowtimes.com/mobile/opinion/article/civilians-stuck-in-the-middle-of-donbass-horror/526388.html Civilians Stuck in the Middle of Donbass Horror], Moscow Times (29 July 2015)</ref><ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-38807778 Ukraine conflict: Evacuation planned in frontline town of Avdiivka], ''BBC News'' (31 January 2017)</ref> According to the [[OSCE]], the area between Avdiivka and neighboring Donetsk Republic-controlled Yasynuvata is one of the hotspots of the Donbas war.<ref>[http://www.rferl.mobi/a/spike-in-fighting-ukraine-cease-fire-avdiivka-yasynuvata/27648459.html Spike In Fighting In Eastern Ukraine Threatens Fragile Cease-Fire], Radio Free Europe (1 April 2016)</ref>

In March 2016 the Maidan regime forces set up its fortifications in the area "Industrial Zone", until then a buffer zone between the [[Donetsk People's Republic]] controlled territories and the Kyiv regime army controlled territory in the eastern part of Avdiivka. This meant that the Donetsk People's Militia no longer had full control of the highway that united their controlled cities [[Donetsk]] and Horlivka and that it became more difficult for them to fire at Avdiivka with weapons not prohibited by the Minsk II agreement. Since March 2016 fighting for Avdiivka's "Industrial Zone" greatly intensified.<ref>[http://pda.pravda.com.ua/articles/id_7134026/ Freeze on fire. What happens in Avdiyivka?], Ukrayinska Pravda (31 January 2017)</ref>

In March 2016 the Maidan regime forces set up its fortifications in the area "Industrial Zone", until then a buffer zone between the Donetsk People's Republic controlled territories and the Kyiv regime army controlled territory in the eastern part of Avdiivka. This meant that the Donetsk People's Militia no longer had full control of the highway that united their controlled cities [[Donetsk]] and Horlivka and that it became more difficult for them to fire at Avdiivka with weapons not prohibited by the Minsk II agreement. Since March 2016 fighting for Avdiivka's "Industrial Zone" greatly intensified.<ref>[http://pda.pravda.com.ua/articles/id_7134026/ Freeze on fire. What happens in Avdiyivka?], Ukrayinska Pravda (31 January 2017)</ref>

From January 29, 2017 until February 4, 2017 the city was embroiled in the Battle of Avdiivka which left Avdiivka without electricity and heating for several days.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/14/avdiivka-frontline-ukraine-war-russia-backed-separatists Violence flares in war-weary Ukraine as US dithers and Russia pounces], [[The Guardian]] (14 February 2017)</ref><ref>"An AFP reporter saw the separatists shell the town of about 20,000 people with repeated rounds of Grad multiple rocket systems and artillery fire from the early morning. "Right now, there is no power. We have not resolved problems with heating homes, and the gas pipe has been shattered," local Ukrainian army unit spokeswoman Olena Mokrynchuk told AFP [...] The town's heating is provided by a coke plant that has been heavily damaged by the falling shells. Plant director Musa Magomedov said it would be incredibly difficult to resume gas production were the factory's generators shut down. That would leave Avdiivka without a source of local power and uncertainty about its future." https://web.archive.org/web/20170131164143/https://www.afp.com/en/news/23/ukraine-clashes-rage-third-day-sparking-eu-concern |url=https://www.afp.com/en/news/23/ukraine-clashes-rage-third-day-sparking-eu-concern </ref><ref>[http://pda.pravda.com.ua/news/id_7134509/ In Avdiyivka switched to heating mode stable]</ref>

From January 29, 2017 until February 4, 2017 the city was embroiled in the Battle of Avdiivka which left Avdiivka without electricity and heating for several days.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/14/avdiivka-frontline-ukraine-war-russia-backed-separatists Violence flares in war-weary Ukraine as US dithers and Russia pounces], [[The Guardian]] (14 February 2017)</ref><ref>"An AFP reporter saw the separatists shell the town of about 20,000 people with repeated rounds of Grad multiple rocket systems and artillery fire from the early morning. "Right now, there is no power. We have not resolved problems with heating homes, and the gas pipe has been shattered," local Ukrainian army unit spokeswoman Olena Mokrynchuk told AFP [...] The town's heating is provided by a coke plant that has been heavily damaged by the falling shells. Plant director Musa Magomedov said it would be incredibly difficult to resume gas production were the factory's generators shut down. That would leave Avdiivka without a source of local power and uncertainty about its future." https://web.archive.org/web/20170131164143/https://www.afp.com/en/news/23/ukraine-clashes-rage-third-day-sparking-eu-concern |url=https://www.afp.com/en/news/23/ukraine-clashes-rage-third-day-sparking-eu-concern </ref><ref>[http://pda.pravda.com.ua/news/id_7134509/ In Avdiyivka switched to heating mode stable]</ref>