The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, announced the decision to completely withdraw Ukrainian troops from Avdiivka, Donetsk region. He explained his decision by the need to save the lives of servicemen and transfer them to more profitable frontiers.
According to him, "Ukrainian soldiers fulfilled their military duty with dignity, did everything possible to destroy the best Russian military units, caused significant losses in manpower and equipment to the enemy."
"We are taking measures to stabilize the situation and maintain our positions. The life of military personnel is the highest value. We will still return Avdiivka," concluded the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
From Sirskyʼs statement, it is not clear whether the complete withdrawal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from Avdiivka has already taken place, or whether it is still ongoing.
- On February 16, at 9:00 p.m., the commander of the operational and strategic group of troops "Tavria" Oleksandr Tarnavskyi said that heavy fighting was going on in Avdiivka, and during the withdrawal of the Armed Forces from the destroyed positions, several fighters were captured. He added that the occupiers are throwing all their reserves into battle and are suffering heavy losses.
- Russian troops have been trying to seize Avdiivka since 2014, when Russia, having launched a war against Ukraine, occupied Crimea and parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. In October 2023, the occupiers went on the offensive near Avdiivka, trying to surround the city.
- On February 13, the spokesman of the 110th separate mechanized brigade, Ivan Sekach, reported that reinforcements were sent to the units of the Defense Forces defending Avdiivka, and some units of the 110th OMBr were withdrawn from combat for rest and rotation. To strengthen defense forces, 3 OSHBrs were redeployed to Avdiivka.