Towns in eastern Ukraine fear they will be Russia’s next target
After the fall of Avdiivka, where will be next?
FEAR IS COURSING through the small towns of eastern Ukraine after the fall of the strategic redoubt of Avdiivka on February 17th. Pokrovsk, a hardscrabble mining spot 45km north-west of Avdiivka (see map), is now crammed with soldiers, many of whom have just retreated from the fallen town. Russian attacks in the hours after the retreat are said to have killed five people in three other eastern towns. Even though these places are set back from the front, the sound of artillery in all of them is clear. It never lets up for long.
Explore more
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “In the Kremlin’s cross-hairs”
Europe February 24th 2024
- Vladimir Putin has been fighting not just Ukraine, but his own people
- After two years of war, Ukrainians are becoming pessimistic
- Towns in eastern Ukraine fear they will be Russia’s next target
- How Boris Pistorius is transforming the German armed forces
- Europe’s generosity to Ukrainian refugees is not so welcome—in Ukraine
From the February 24th 2024 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionDiscover more
Marine Le Pen spooks the bond markets
She threatens to bring down the French government, but also faces a possible ban from politics
The maths of Europe’s military black hole
It needs to spend to defend, but voters may balk
Ukraine’s warriors brace for a Kremlin surge in the south
Vladimir Putin’s war machine is pushing harder and crushing Ukrainian morale
Vladimir Putin fires a new missile to amplify his nuclear threats
The attack on Ukraine is part of a new era of missile warfare
A rise in antisemitism puts Europe’s liberal values to the test
The return of Europe’s oldest scourge
Once dominant, Germany is now desperate
As an election looms its business model is breaking down