Ukraine withdraws troops from Avdiivka

Soldiers are visible on the road to Avdiivka on February 14 Photo: Libkos/Getty Images Europe

Ukraine has withdrawn its troops from Vladimir Zelensky said that besieged the eastern stronghold of Avdiivka to save the lives of his soldiers.

Faced with ammunition shortages and numerical superiority on the battlefield, Ukrainian troops announced they had withdrawn early Saturday morning, handing Russia their biggest victory of the war since the capture of Bakhmut in May.

Mr Zelensky said: “The ability to save our people is the most important task for us. To avoid encirclement, it was decided to retreat to other lines. This does not mean that the people retreated a few kilometers and Russia captured something, it did not capture anything.”

The withdrawal came as Russian troops stepped up efforts to capture an eastern industrial hub that has important symbolic significance. meaning. in October.

In the following months, widespread casualties and destruction were reported, and several Ukrainian troops were captured during the withdrawal, several military officials said.

The operation was the first major decision made by Alexander Syrsky, the newly appointed commander-in-chief. after his popular predecessor Valery Zaluzhny was dismissed in early February.

Mr. Syrsky said he had “decided to withdraw our forces.” units from the city and move to defense in more advantageous directions» and that «the lives of military personnel are of the highest value.»

Ukraine faces growing pressure in the east due to a shortage of ammunition costing $60 billion. US military aid package (£48 billion) delayed in Washington.

A Ukrainian soldier stationed on the eastern front line told AFP that the withdrawal was «the right decision, given the shortage of weapons and artillery shells, because if we don't save the lives of the soldiers, we will soon have no one to fight with.»

“But if we continue to lose ground, we will lose this war,” he said.

Avdiivka is in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, which the Kremlin claims is part of Russia after annexation in 2022. It was home to around 30,000 residents before the Russian invasion, but now that much of the city has been destroyed, fewer than 1,000 remain.

The city briefly fell into the hands of pro-Russian separatists in July 2014 before returning to Ukrainian control and maintenance of it despite the invasion and its proximity to the separatist capital Donetsk.

The battle for Avdiivka, which lies less than 10 kilometers north of the Russian-controlled city of Donetsk, was one of the bloodiest in nearly two years war.

Reporters nearby said they saw Ukrainian troops using shovels and construction equipment to build new defensive lines.