MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia announced on Saturday that its forces had achieved several victories against Ukrainian forces along the 1,000-km (620-mile) front line, just as Ukrainian troops were retreating from the devastated eastern town of Avdiivka.
The Ukrainian withdrawal from Avdiivka marks a significant victory for Russia, the largest since capturing Bakhmut in May 2023 after a deadly battle that resulted in thousands of casualties and left the city in ruins.
Following the failure of Ukraine to break through Russian lines last year, Moscow has been working to wear down Ukrainian forces, while Kyiv considers a major new mobilisation and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy appoints a new commander for the war effort.
According to the Russian defence ministry, Russian forces have achieved gains against Ukrainian troops in multiple areas along the front lines.
“Avdiivka, as a major stronghold for the armed forces of Ukraine, has fallen,” said pro-Russian military blogger Yuri Podolyak on Telegram.
Avdiivka, known as Avdeyevka by Russians, was briefly captured in 2014 by Moscow-backed separatists before being recaptured by Ukrainian troops, who constructed extensive fortifications.
Avdiivka is situated in the industrial Donbas region, 15 km (9 miles) north of the Russian-occupied city of Donetsk. Its Soviet-era coke plant was one of the largest in Europe before the war.
“It’s not yet clear if the enemy, surrounded from two sides by Avdiivka coke, is surrendering or not,” Podolyak stated. “But in general, the situation is already clear – sooner or later we will take it. Without this, it’s pointless to continue advancing here strategically.”
Both Russian and Ukrainian officials claim that the battle for Avdiivka resulted in thousands of casualties, although neither side has provided specific numbers. Western intelligence assessments suggest that hundreds of thousands of men on both sides have been killed or wounded in the war.
Avdiivka is crucial to Russia’s goal of securing full control of the two eastern “Donbas” provinces – Donetsk and Luhansk. These are among the four Ukrainian regions Russia claims to have annexed but does not fully control.
Avdiivka is seen as a gateway to Donetsk city, which Russian officials say has been shelled by Ukrainian forces, at times from Avdiivka.
The New York Times reported chaotic scenes as Ukrainian forces retreated, with some wounded soldiers left behind and others lacking sufficient ammunition.
Russian forces currently control just under one fifth of Ukraine’s internationally recognized territory. According to the Belfer Center’s Russia-Ukraine War Report Card, in the month leading up to Feb. 13, Russian forces gained 35 square miles of territory, while Ukraine gained only one square mile.
(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; editing by Giles Elgood)
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