"After months of fighting, the command decided to withdraw from the Zenit position in the southeastern suburb of Avdeevka, in order to protect the lives of soldiers and improve combat operations," General Oleksandr Tarnavsky, commander of the Tavria operational-strategic group in charge of the eastern front of the Ukrainian army, said on February 16.

He stressed that the decision did not give Russia a tactical advantage, nor did it change the defensive situation of Ukrainian forces in Avdeevka. "The regrouping of forces, replenishment of supplies and deployment of new units are underway," the official said.

Tarnavsky also said Avdeevka was now the "hottest spot" on the frontline and Ukrainian forces were under heavy pressure from Russian troops. "The enemy is carrying out heavy bombardments day and night and is constantly attacking from several directions at the same time," he said.

According to Maksym Zhorin, deputy commander of the 3rd Ukrainian Brigade, which has just been sent to Avdeevka, Russia is now dropping about 60-80 glide bombs on the city every day, turning it into rubble.

Tarnavsky later announced that some Ukrainian soldiers had been captured by Russian forces while moving to new positions, adding that the Ukrainian forces had repelled 30 attacks on February 16, causing the enemy to suffer "heavy losses".

“Since the beginning of the year, Russia has lost more than 20,000 soldiers, 199 tanks and 481 combat armored vehicles in this direction,” he said.

Russian officials have not commented on the above information.

After the Ukrainian army's counter-offensive failed, late last year Russia launched an attack on Avdeevka, a city in Donetsk province that Ukraine turned into a fortress in 2014 with a system of fortifications and strongholds.

Pro-Russian military accounts on February 15 released a video of Russian soldiers planting a flag near the nameplate of the city of Avdeevka, a location where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited and took a photo last month. US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby warned that Avdeevka could soon fall if Ukrainian forces do not receive additional ammunition.

General Tarnavsky had previously hinted at the possibility of withdrawing units from the inner city and regrouping at more fortified positions outside the city.

Capturing Avdeevka would allow the Russian army to extend another 50-60 km on the frontline, creating a gateway from the capital Donetsk to other cities such as Konstantinovka in the north, moving closer to its goal of complete control over Donetsk province.

Western media said that driving Ukraine out of Avdeevka would also be a symbolic victory for Russia before the second anniversary of the conflict.

Pham Giang (According to Reuters, Kyiv Post )