Following the withdrawal of Ukraine’s outgunned and outclassed troops by the highest-ranking military commander, Russian forces raised their flag above the eastern city of Avdiivka, granting Moscow a major new victory in the ongoing conflict.
Early on Saturday morning, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskiy announced that he was repositioning troops to more advantageous defensive positions to safeguard lives and avert encirclement. In recent days, Russian forces had advanced swiftly into the city.
Following a months-long assault, Russia has captured Avdiivka, marking President Vladimir Putin’s most significant victory since his forces seized the eastern city of Bakhmut in May 2023.
Following a failed counteroffensive in the previous year, which left Ukraine short on personnel and military materiel, Moscow has reestablished the offensive in the conflict.
Images of the Russian flag being flown above the local administration building and the expansive Avdiivka Coke Plant, which had served as a stronghold for Ukrainian forces in the city, were shared by Russian military bloggers.
Russia advances toward its strategic objective of capturing the entirety of the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions with municipal control.
The commander of Ukrainian forces engaged in combat in the southeast, Oleksandr Tarnavskiy, stated that “a certain number” of Ukrainian soldiers were captured by Russian forces during the retreat.
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