Avdiivka: Ukraine troops leave embattled eastern town
Ukraine has declared the withdrawal of its troops from Avdiivka, a crucial eastern town long besieged by Russian forces.
General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the head of the armed forces, stated that this move was made “to avoid encirclement and preserve the lives and health of service personnel.”
With nearly all of Avdiivka’s pre-war population of over 30,000 having evacuated, the city itself lies in ruins. Nonetheless, its capture signifies Russia’s most significant triumph in months.
Ukraine’s ammunition reserves have been dwindling, primarily due to political disputes in the US, its primary supplier.
During the Munich Security Conference, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged for increased supplies to confront what he termed “the monster,” referring to Russia’s leader, Vladimir Putin. Zelensky warned that if the Western world fails to oppose Putin, he will make the upcoming years “catastrophic” for more countries like Ukraine.
Avdiivka has been embroiled in intense combat for months, serving as a battleground since 2014 when Russian-backed forces seized control of large parts of the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Its fall represents the most significant shift in the over 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) frontline since Russian troops captured the nearby town of Bakhmut in May 2023.
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. General Colonel Syrskyi announced the decision to withdraw early on Saturday, commending Ukrainian soldiers for their valor and the significant losses inflicted on the enemy.
The troops, according to General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, his deputy, had already vacated Avdiivka for prepared positions, a strategic maneuver necessary amid relentless enemy attacks and severe ammunition shortages.
US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby had previously cautioned about Ukrainian forces depleting their artillery ammunition amidst Russia’s relentless assaults.
“And because Congress has yet to pass the supplemental bill, we have not been able to provide Ukraine with the artillery shells that they desperately need to disrupt these Russian assaults.”
Earlier this week, the US Senate approved a $95bn (£75bn) foreign aid package – including $60bn for Ukraine – after months of political wrangling, but it faces an uphill battle in the House of Representatives.
Ukraine is critically dependent on weapons supplies from the US and other Western allies to keep fighting Russia – a much bigger military force with an abundance of artillery ammunition.
Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned on Thursday that the US failure to approve continued military assistance to Ukraine was already having an impact on the battlefield.
Russian troops have been making significant gains in Avdiivka recently, threatening to encircle it.
Earlier this week some Ukrainian soldiers privately admitted the town could fall at any moment.
“We’re upset,” Ukrainian officer Oleksii, from Ukraine’s 110th Mechanised Brigade in the Avdiivka area, told the BBC, standing beside a huge mobile artillery piece as Russian guns boomed in the distance.
“Currently we have two shells, but we have no [explosive] charges for them… so we can’t fire them. As of now, we have run out of shells,” said Oleksii.
