In the early morning of February 17, the new commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, Syrsky, announced in a post on social media that he would withdraw his troops from Avdeyevka, an important town in the Donetsk region, a decision he made after taking over the army in a major reshuffle carried out last week.
He announced: "In view of the situation around Avdeyevka, in order to ensure that the enemy army is not surrounded and to protect the lives and health of the soldiers, I have decided to direct the troops to withdraw from the city and move to a more advantageous defensive line for defensive ......."Our army inflicted serious losses in personnel and equipment on the enemy. We are taking steps to stabilize the situation and hold our ground. A soldier's life is the most precious. We will return to Avdeyevka. ”
At a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Ukrainian Zelensky said that in the face of the Russian army's attempt to take control of Avdeyevka, he strongly asked the military leadership to prioritize the protection of the lives of Ukrainian officers and soldiers.
On February 15, Biden said that Ukraine is currently facing a severe ammunition shortage, despite the Republican Congress's opposition to aid to Ukraine for months. A spokesman for the White House committee also said, "Unfortunately, we have received information from the Ukrainian side that the situation there is very critical. As Russian forces continue to put pressure on Ukrainian positions on a daily basis, Avdeyevka is likely to come under Russian control. ”
According to RIA Novosti, Avdeyevka is located on the northern outskirts of the Donetsk region and is an important defensive area of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.