According to information published by Forbes , citing sources in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the russian army suffered heavy losses during one of the largest tank attacks since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Prior to the attack, the russians reportedly lost hundreds of vehicles during the capture of Avdiivka in mid-February, which likely led to a shortage of equipment. As a result, the occupiers initially focused their efforts on infantry offensives west of the city.

However, the situation changed when 36 tanks and 12 armored personnel carriers of the russian army's 6th Tank Regiment from the 90th Tank Division launched an attack along the road between russian-occupied Tonenke and the Ukrainian-controlled village of Umanske. Ukraine's 25th Brigade spotted the 48-vehicle convoy and attacked it, destroying 12 tanks and 8 infantry fighting vehicles.

The Center for Defense Strategies described the ensuing fighting in the Tonenke area as "positional," meaning no significant advance by either side.

"The fact that the Ukrainians could defeat such a large and well-armed russian force is indicative of another trend: despite the lack of ammunition, Ukrainian brigades are still able to establish a tough defense - often with a combination of mines, artillery, anti-tank missiles and UAVs," the publication said.

Serhiy Tsehotskyi, an officer of the 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade named after Yakov Handziuk, said that in the Avdiivka sector, russian federation uses small group tactics to try to advance.