Ukrainian defense forces withdraw to western outskirts of Lastochkyne near Avdiivka
Ukrainian defense forces withdraw to western outskirts of Lastochkyne near Avdiivka (photo: Getty Images)
Ukrainian defense forces have withdrawn to the western outskirts of Lastochkyne near Avdiivka. The Russian army continues assaults in the Avdiivka direction with the help of aviation and artillery, says Dmytro Lykhoviy, a spokesperson of the operational-strategic group Tavria.
"This is what it was as of this morning. But the situation is dynamic, it can change," he said in an interview, adding that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had retreated to previously prepared positions.
According to Lykhoviy, the Russians continue their assault operations in the Avdiivka direction and are supported by artillery and aviation.
"Russians are storming with the support of aviation and artillery. They are trying to conduct an offensive in this direction with additional forces," added the spokesperson.
It should be noted that yesterday, the Deepstate project reported the loss of the village of Lastochkyne near Avdiivka by the Ukrainian military. The project published a map of the fighting, where the village was marked as occupied territory.
Map of combat actions near Avdiivka (screenshot: deepstatemap)
Ukrainian Armed Forces withdrawal from Avdiivka and the continuation of the Russian offensive
The Russian army launched an offensive against Avdiivka in early October. In February, the Third Assault Brigade announced that its troops had been redeployed to the city to strengthen Ukrainian defenses. The defenders showed footage from Avdiivka and noted that the fighting in this area was heavier than in Bakhmut.
On February 16, the commander of the Tavria unit, Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, announced the decision to withdraw from the Zenit position on the southeastern outskirts of Avdiivka. The next day, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said that our soldiers had left the city to avoid being surrounded by the enemy.
As President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted, the decision to withdraw was fair and professional.
On February 18, the Russians tried to storm the village of Lastochkyne west of Avdiivka, but the Defense Forces repelled 14 enemy attacks.
Military expert Oleksii Hetman believes that the collapse of the Avdiivka front is unlikely. The Deep State map shows some success of the enemy towards Lastochkyne to the west of Avdiivka.
Read more about this, possible threats, and whether the Defense Forces can hold back the enemy's onslaught in the RBC-Ukraine article.
