Ukraine Withdraws Troops From Avdiivka
Ukrainian troops have withdrawn from the eastern city of Avdiivka to avoid encirclement.
Army chief Oleksandr Syrsky stated in a Facebook post on Saturday that the move was made to protect the lives and well-being of soldiers, stabilise the situation, and move troops to more favourable defensive lines.
"Our soldiers honourably fulfilled their military duty, did everything possible to destroy the best units of the Russian army, and inflicted significant losses on the enemy in terms of manpower and equipment," he said. "The life of military personnel is of the highest value."
Alexander Tarnavsky, commander of the Tavriya operational-strategic group of troops, noted on his Telegram channel that Ukrainian forces successfully avoided encirclement and have withdrawn. Soldiers have now taken up defensive positions at designated lines.
"Faced with an enemy advance fueled by a ten-to-one advantage in artillery and constant shelling, this is the only sound decision," Tarnavsky added.
ISW: Russian forces will likely face difficulties advancing west from Avdiivka in the Donetsk region, closer to the prepared positions to which Ukrainian troops are withdrawing.
Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War believe that the invaders sought to complicate or prevent the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops in the hope of inflicting operational losses on the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the area, as capturing the town itself would offer no strategic advantage or opportunity for further significant offensives.
Avdiivka is a small industrial town near Donetsk that was captured by pro-Russian separatists with the support of Russian troops almost 10 years ago - in the spring of 2014. For years, Avdiivka was held by Ukrainian troops, who had built strong defensive fortifications there. Despite its proximity to the conflict zone, the city enjoyed economic development and growth until the full-scale war began.
The Russian invasion in February 2022 changed everything. The local factory was closed, and most residents fled the city due to devastating daily shelling. The Russian army, unable to overcome the defences in a single strike, resorted to the systematic destruction of the city with airstrikes and infantry assaults.
Today, almost nothing remains of Avdiivka. Intense fighting and bombardment have left the majority of buildings either completely destroyed or heavily damaged.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
