Russia announced on Sunday, the 18th of February, that it is in full control of the Ukrainian town of Avdiivka, in what appears to be Moscow’s biggest success in nine months, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukrainian commanders have decided to withdraw their forces from the town in the face of continued attacks by Russian troops, reports Politico.
Speaking at a security conference in Munich on Saturday, Zelenskyy pointed to an ammunition shortage and reiterated his call to speed up the delivery of artillery shells and long-range missiles.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden said that “Ukrainian soldiers had to rationalise their ammunition”,
ammo supplies plummeted due to passive action by Congress, as Biden urged lawmakers to approve 60 billion US dollars in aid to Ukraine, which has been stalled in the US Congress.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the US Congress’ lack of decision “has a direct impact on the front lines in Ukraine”.
The newly appointed Commander of the Ukrainian army, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, explained that he had ordered the withdrawal of forces from Avdiivka to prevent a Russian encirclement and to protect the lives of Ukrainian soldiers.
On Sunday, Moscow announced that some Ukrainian soldiers were still at the coke and chemical plant in the Avdiivka, with Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu stating that Russian forces were working to eliminate the last points of resistance at the plant but on Monday Russian state news agencies reported that
Russian forces had taken full control of the Avdiivka plant.
Ukrainian defenders, outnumbered for four months in an intense battle, resisted the Russian assault on Avdiivka. Despite the reported loss of seven Russian soldiers to one Ukrainian soldier, the Russian attacks continued.
“Russia has only one particular advantage, complete devaluation of human life,” Politico quotes Zelensky as saying.
On Sunday, Ukrainian authorities announced the opening of an investigation into allegations that Russian forces shot dead eight unarmed Ukrainian soldiers in Avdiivka and a nearby village.
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