Avdiivka, Longtime Stronghold for Ukraine, Falls to RussiansWith Ukraine’s forces at risk of encirclement, the top military commander ordered a retreat. In startlingly candid accounts, soldiers described disarray and despair.
Ukraine ordered the complete withdrawal from the decimated city of Avdiivka before dawn on Saturday, surrendering a position that had been a military stronghold for the better part of a decade, in the face of withering Russian assault.
“Based on the operational situation around Avdiivka, in order to avoid encirclement and preserve the lives and health of servicemen, I decided to withdraw our units from the city and move to defense on more favorable lines,” Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, Ukraine’s top military commander, said in a statement issued overnight.
The fall of Avdiivka, a city that was once home to some 30,000 people but is now a smoking ruin, is the first major gain Russian forces have achieved since May of last year. After rebuffing a Ukrainian counteroffensive in the summer and fall, Russian forces in recent weeks have been pressing the attack across nearly the entire length of the 600-mile-long front.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/17/world/europe/ukraine-avdiivka-withdraw-despair.htmlUkraine war: Is Avdiivka's fall a sign Russia is turning the tide?"In order to preserve life and encirclement, I have withdrawn our units from Avdiivka."
When he was appointed this month, Ukraine's new head of the armed forces, Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, said he would "rather retreat than sacrifice lives", and that is what he has finally done with this eastern city.
Despite Russians suffering enormous losses, four months of relentless attacks have left Ukrainian troops there outnumbered, outgunned, and with dwindling ammunition. It is Moscow's biggest victory since Ukraine's failed counter-offensive last year.
Avdiivka was briefly occupied by Russia in 2014 before being retaken by Ukraine. So, what does Avdiivka's fall mean for the wider conflict?
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-68322527
