The Ukrainian army was forced to withdraw from the city of Avdiivka in the east of the country on Saturday, granting Russia its most significant symbolic victory after the failure of the counteroffensive launched by Kyiv last summer. Ukrainian regional commander General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi announced via Telegram late Friday that "according to the order we received, we have withdrawn from Avdiivka to pre-prepared positions."
Ukraine had to abandon the city of Avdiivka, the center of "intense fighting" in the east, which has been largely devastated amid an increasing shortage of resources and hindered U.S. military aid. Meanwhile, Russia has bolstered its forces with additional troops and ammunition to secure control over Avdiivka just days before the second anniversary of the start of the invasion of Ukraine on February 24. Tarnavskyi added, "In a situation where the enemy advances by stepping over the bodies of its soldiers and has ten times more shells... this is the only correct decision." He confirmed that Ukrainian forces have thus avoided encirclement near this largely destroyed industrial city.
This is the first major decision made by the new commander of the Ukrainian armed forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, since his appointment on February 8. He justified it by the desire to "preserve" the lives of his soldiers.
