KYIV, Feb 17 – Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed the seizure of Avdiivka as a significant triumph, following Ukraine’s military announcement that its troops had withdrawn from the war-torn town in the eastern part of the country after enduring months of intense combat.
While the Russian defense ministry asserted that Ukrainian units still maintained positions at the town’s coke plant, the advancement on Avdiivka marked Moscow’s most significant territorial gain since the capture of Bakhmut in May of last year.
This development occurred just days before the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and amid acute ammunition shortages faced by Ukrainian forces, with the delivery of fresh U.S. military aid delayed for months due to opposition in Congress.
Moreover, it serves as a stark indicator of the shifting dynamics of the conflict, with the tide seemingly turning in favor of Moscow following a failed Ukrainian counteroffensive last year.
“The head of state congratulated Russian soldiers on this success, an important victory,” stated the Kremlin in a release on its website.
U.S. President Joe Biden issued a warning earlier this week that Avdiivka could fall to Russian forces due to ammunition shortages resulting from months of Republican opposition to a new U.S. military aid package for Kyiv. In response, a White House statement confirmed that Biden had spoken with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, reiterating U.S. commitment to supporting Ukraine and emphasizing the urgent need for Congress to approve the aid package to replenish Ukrainian forces.
The White House attributed the Ukrainian withdrawal to “dwindling supplies as a result of congressional inaction,” which forced Ukrainian soldiers to ration ammunition and led to “Russia’s first notable gains in months.”
The capture of Avdiivka is expected to bolster morale for Russia ahead of Putin’s anticipated reelection next month, an outcome deemed almost certain. It also signifies another step toward consolidating Moscow’s control over the regional hub of Donetsk, located approximately 20 km (12 miles) to the east and held by Russian and pro-Russian forces since 2014.
While details regarding Russia’s casualties in the fierce fighting remain undisclosed, Ukrainian officials and Western military analysts assert that these advances have come at a significant cost in terms of personnel and armored vehicles.
In a telegram, Putin paid tribute to soldiers who had lost their lives in the campaign, expressing, “Eternal glory to the heroes who fell in fulfilling the tasks of the special military operation!”
However, it appears that Russia has yet to fully secure the Avdiivka Coke and Chemical plant on the northwestern outskirts of the town. Once Ukraine’s largest coke producer, now reduced to ruins, it represents the last stronghold in Avdiivka.
“Measures are being taken to completely clear the city of militants and to block Ukrainian units that have left the city and are entrenched at the Avdiivka Coke and Chemical Plant,” stated Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Igor Konashenkov in a video posted on the ministry’s Telegram channel.
