NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, at a press conference in Brussels, announced the start of an operation to encircle Avdiivka by Russian troops, noting that the development of events on the battlefield turned out to be more difficult than NATO expected.

Stoltenberg stressed that the alliance did not foresee the launch of an offensive by the Russian army in the area. According to him, the situation for the Armed Forces of Ukraine is difficult, given the attempts of Russian troops to encircle Avdiivka. The NATO Secretary General also emphasized the importance of providing assistance to Ukraine to counter Russian actions.

“We must realize that the situation on the battlefield is difficult. Russia is not planning peace; on the contrary, we see how Russia has launched offensive operations, for example, around Avdeevka. But the fact that the situation is more difficult than expected is not an argument against help. We can't let President Putin win, it will be bad for NATO.", - said Jens Stoltenberg.

These statements by Stoltenberg indicate a reassessment of the current situation on the Donetsk front.