Ukraine says forces are withdrawing from Avdiivka

The Ukrainian military announced on Friday that troops were withdrawing from the besieged city of Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine.

Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Colonel Alexander Shirsky, Said Troops were withdrawing to “protect the lives and health of soldiers” and move to more advantageous positions.

“Our soldiers duly fulfilled their military duty and did their best to destroy the best Russian military units, inflicting severe losses on the enemy in manpower and equipment,” Silsky said in a statement. Ta. “We are taking measures to stabilize the situation and maintain the occupied territories. The lives of military personnel are of the highest value.”

Avdiivka has been a key battleground in the war over the past few months, as Russian forces have attacked it as part of a comprehensive strategy to seize the rest of Ukraine’s Donetsk region.

The White House warned earlier this week that Russian forces were on the verge of capturing the city as Ukrainian soldiers struggled with limited stockpiles and depleting ammunition. The last round of U.S. military aid to Ukraine expired late last year, but Congress has yet to approve a new aid package.

A senior U.S. defense official told reporters Friday that Ukraine faces challenges across the front from Russian aggression if additional aid is not approved.

“We see this as potentially a harbinger of things to come if this additional funding is not obtained,” the official said of Avdiivka.

However, after the Ukrainian counterattacks began to slow, Russian forces began attacking the town even more intensely in October, but were ultimately unable to break through the Russian positions.

The town is located in the center of Donetsk, which Russia is trying to take full control of, along with the rest of the uncontrolled Luhansk region. Russia currently controls about 18% of Ukraine in the east and southeast.

Avdiivka alone would not give Russia a huge advantage, but it could help Russia launch further attacks into the rest of Donetsk. Ukraine has vigorously defended its position in Avdiivka, including a series of offensives and defenses at a coke and chemical factory near the town.

The withdrawal is likely to give Moscow another symbolic victory after the city of Bakhmut fell last spring and Russia’s successful defense against a Ukrainian counterattack, with the city also falling.

With the battleground shifting in his favor and vital Western aid to Ukraine at stake, Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a number of recent announcements, including a high-profile sit-down with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson in Moscow. He has appeared more optimistic and public in recent months. .

Still, Russia lost significant numbers of troops in the war, with about 315,000 casualties, according to the latest U.S. estimates. Ukraine damaged the Russian fleet in the Black Sea, forcing it to withdraw from its historic headquarters in Crimea.

The Biden administration still warned that without further aid, Ukraine faces a tough challenge from Russia’s large military, backed by a strengthened defense industry.

Updated at 8:35 PM ET.