Fall of the City of Avdiivka; Ukraine: We Withdrew to Save Soldiers' Lives

On Sunday, February 18, Russia announced that it had taken full control of the city of Avdiivka in Ukraine. Avdiivka has been under increasing attack from Russian forces in the east since October of last year. According to Reuters, the fall of Avdiivka is Russia's biggest achievement since capturing the city of Bakhmut on May 20, marking nearly two years since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine, launching a full-scale war against the country. Ukraine stated on Saturday that after months of intense urban warfare, its soldiers had withdrawn from the city to avoid being completely surrounded. Putin called the fall of Avdiivka a significant victory and congratulated Russian soldiers. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in his speech at the Munich Security Conference, said, 'Keeping Ukraine afloat with unrealistic shortages of weapons, especially artillery and long-range systems, allows Putin to continue the war with its current intensity.' Zelensky concluded his remarks by saying, 'Please do not ask Ukraine when the war will end. Ask yourself why Putin is still able to continue it.' U.S. President Joe Biden had warned that Avdiivka might fall due to ammunition shortages following months of Republican opposition in Congress to a new military aid package for Kyiv. The White House stated that Biden spoke with Zelensky on Saturday to reaffirm the United States' commitment to continue supporting Ukraine and emphasized the urgent need for Congress to pass this aid package. The White House noted that due to a shortage of weapons, Ukrainian soldiers had to ration ammunition, leading to 'Russia's first significant achievement in several months.' According to Reuters, the capture of Avdiivka is also seen as another step in maintaining Moscow's control over the Donetsk region, located about 20 kilometers to the east, which is under Russian forces' control. As of the time of this report, neither Russia nor Ukraine had provided details of their casualties in Avdiivka. Reuters, citing Western intelligence assessments, reported that hundreds of thousands of troops from both sides have been killed or wounded in this war. The Ukrainian Defense Minister stated that Avdiivka required modern air defense systems to counter guided bombs and long-range Russian weapons. General Alexander Syrsky, who took command of the Ukrainian army last week, said that Ukrainian forces had moved to safer positions outside the city to save their lives. The Ukrainian army announced on Sunday that they had repelled a Russian attack on the southern front in the Zaporizhia region.