Avdiivka, long-time stronghold of Ukraine, falls to Russia

With Ukrainian forces at risk of being surrounded, the top military commander ordered a retreat. In surprisingly frank accounts, soldiers described dismay and despair.

Ukraine has ordered a complete withdrawal from the ruined town of Avdiivka, in the Eastern Ukraine before dawn Saturday, ceding a city that had been a military stronghold for the better part of a decade to Russian bombings and relentless assaults.

« Based on the operational situation around Avdiivka, in order to "To avoid encirclement and preserve the life and health of servicemen, I decided to withdraw our units from the city and move defense on more favorable lines," General Oleksandr Syrsky, Ukraine's military commander-in-chief, said in a statement released overnight.

The fall of Avdiivka, a town that was once home to some 30,000 residents but is now a smoking ruin, is the first major gain made by Russian forces since May 2017. last year. In recent weeks, Russian forces have intensified their attack along almost the entire length of the 600-mile front.

Ukrainian forces had begun to withdraw from their positions in the southern part. of the city on Wednesday. They have been engaged in a desperate battle to avoid encirclement inside the city for several days, as Russian forces advanced in several directions.

ImageA village in the Avdiivka district of Ukraine under bombardment by Russian forces on Thursday.Credit...Libkos/Getty Images

Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, the leader of Ukrainian forces in the south, said there was no choice but to withdraw, given the Russian advantage in firepower and numbers of soldiers they were ready to send into battle.

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