China News Service, Beijing, February 18 Comprehensive news: Syrsky, commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, announced the withdrawal of troops from Avdeyevka, an important town in the Donetsk region, on the 17th local time.
According to the Ukrainian News Agency, Syrsky said that according to the current operational situation, in order to avoid the encirclement of the Ukrainian army and protect the lives and health of Ukrainian officers and soldiers, he decided to withdraw his troops from Avdeyevka and move to a more favorable line of defense for defensive operations. He stressed that the soldiers of the Ukrainian army performed their military duties with dignity, causing heavy losses to the best troops and equipment of the Russian army, and said that the Ukrainian army is taking measures to stabilize the situation on the front line, "in any case we will recapture Avdeyevka."
The commander of the Ukrainian army, Alexander Tarnavsky, who is in charge of the defense of Avdeyevka, said that according to the orders received, the units of the Ukrainian army have been moved from Avdeyevka to the designated positions. Under the Russian army's 10 to 1 artillery superiority offensive and constant bombardment, the withdrawal of troops was the only correct decision of the Ukrainian army. Tarnavsky said on the evening of the 16th that the Russian army was storming Avdeyevka, carrying out artillery shelling and large-scale bombardment.
Ukraine** Zelensky responded at the Munich Security Conference held in Germany on the 17th that in order to avoid the encirclement of the Ukrainian army and protect the lives of Ukrainian officers and soldiers, the decision to withdraw troops from Avdeyevka is correct. He said that Ukraine will rely on the support of its partners and wait for the necessary **.
According to Reuters analysis, the withdrawal is the most obvious sign of Russia's special military operation against Ukraine in the past two years, indicating that since the Ukrainian army failed to break through the Russian defense line last year, the war situation has turned in a direction favorable to Moscow.
According to the Russian Satellite News Agency, the Ministry of Defense released a message on the 17th that the Russian army has taken full control of Avdeyevka, which was once an important defense hub of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The Russian army is currently taking measures to continue to clear the city of Ukrainian military personnel and surround the Ukrainian troops still stranded in the Avdeyevka coking plant.
Russian press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that Putin listened to the report of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on the seizure of Avdeyevka and congratulated the Russian officers and soldiers.
The White House reported on the 17th that Biden and Zelensky spoke on the same day, emphasizing that the United States is committed to continuing to support Ukraine. Biden said that due to the reduction in aid to Ukraine caused by congressional inaction, forcing Ukrainian troops to withdraw from Avdeyevka, Russia has made significant progress for the first time in months. Biden stressed the need for Congress to urgently pass the *** Supplemental Appropriations Act to resupply the Ukrainian army again. (ENDS).