The Ukrainian army is withdrawing from Avdiivka, a city in eastern Ukraine that was stormed by Russian forces. “Due to the operational situation around Avdiivka, I have decided to withdraw our units from the city and defend more advantageous positions in order to avoid encirclement and protect the life and health of our soldiers,” he confirmed in a message published last a few hours later
“Fierce fighting” is taking place in Avdiivka, a Ukrainian military commander wrote on social media yesterday, as Moscow troops approached the city’s industrial heartland. “Our troops use all available forces and means to hold back the enemy,” General Oleksandr Tarnavskiy explained, adding that “new positions and powerful fortifications continue to be prepared, taking into account all possible scenarios” or even a possible retreat.
In recent days, Russian troops have managed to take control of the main supply route to Avdiivka. “Supplying Avdiivka and evacuating from the city are now more difficult, but we are using a logistics route prepared in time,” Ukrainian military spokesman Dmytro Lykhoviy said on Kiev television. For several days, both Ukrainian and Russian military bloggers have been reporting on Russian advances, particularly northeast of the city.
Before the war, Avdiivka was an industrial city with over 30,000 inhabitants, but today it is just a mass of ruins with only a few hundred residents left. In October the Russians launched an offensive against the city. Moscow is pushing for its capture and hopes Russian President Vladimir Putin can announce it before presidential elections on March 15-17.
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