The Ukrainian military was compelled to retreat from the city of Avdiivka in the country’s east today (Saturday), marking Russia’s most significant symbolic triumph following the failure of Kyiv’s counteroffensive last summer. Ukrainian General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi announced via Telegram late Friday to Saturday that “according to the order we received, we have withdrawn from Avdiivka to previously prepared positions.”
Forced by an increasing scarcity of resources and the obstruction of American military aid, Ukraine had to abandon Avdiivka, the “intense combat” center in the east, now largely devastated. Meanwhile, Russia bolstered its forces with additional personnel and ammunition to take control of Avdiivka days before the second anniversary of Ukraine’s invasion on February 24.
Tarnavskyi added, “In a situation where the enemy advances over the bodies of its soldiers and has ten times more shells… this is the only right decision.” He confirmed that the Ukrainian forces thus avoided being encircled near this largely destroyed industrial city. This marks the first major decision by Ukraine’s new supreme military commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, appointed to the position on February 8, justified by the desire to “preserve” the lives of his soldiers.
Syrskyi stated on Facebook, “I decided to withdraw our units from the city and shift to defense on more favorable lines.” He continued, “Our soldiers performed their military duty with dignity, doing everything possible to destroy Russia’s best military units and inflict significant losses on the enemy.”
Before the official withdrawal announcement, Tarnavskyi acknowledged that “many” Ukrainian soldiers had been “captured” by Russian forces, which possess a “surplus in terms of manpower, artillery, and aviation.”
Avdiivka, with a pre-invasion population of about 34,000 in February 2022, holds significant symbolic value. Despite being largely destroyed, around 900 civilians remain, according to local authorities. Moscow hopes that controlling it will make Ukrainian shelling of Donetsk more challenging.
Kyiv reported that the Russian military has intensified its attacks despite heavy personnel losses since October, reminiscent of the battle for the city of Bakhmut, which Moscow captured in May 2023 after ten months of fighting, costing tens of thousands of casualties.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pledged on Thursday to do “everything possible” to rescue his forces on the eastern front, especially in Avdiivka, the combat center, after both the Ukrainian military and the U.S. administration described the situation as “critical.”
Following Ukraine’s failed counteroffensive last summer, Russia has taken the initiative, attacking the Ukrainian military, which struggles to replenish its forces and lacks ammunition. Avdiivka’s significant symbolic value stems from briefly falling into the hands of Moscow-supported separatists in 2014 before returning to Kyiv’s control, in addition to its proximity to Donetsk, a stronghold of Russia’s supporters for a decade.
Days before the second anniversary of the Russian invasion, Ukraine faces multiple challenges: Russian military attacks, stalled American military aid, and shortages of fighters, weapons, and ammunition.
Conversely, Russia relies on deploying 600,000 military personnel on the front and an economy fully dedicated to the war effort, unaffected by Western sanctions.
Zelensky’s withdrawal from Avdiivka coincides with his European tour. From Berlin, he stated he was in constant contact with the military leadership, whose main task is to preserve soldiers’ lives and “minimize losses.” On Friday, Zelensky signed bilateral security agreements in Berlin and Paris to secure long-term aid from Germany and France for Ukraine, with commitments to provide about $10 billion in military support during 2024.
Amid these developments, Russian authorities reported thwarting several Ukrainian drone attacks overnight from Friday to Saturday.
