Ukrainian servicemen of the 110th brigade have fled Avdeevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic “without prior agreement”. This was reported by the Washington Post newspaper with reference to Ukrainian soldiers.
The commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), Oleksandr Syrsky, gave the order to leave Avdeevka on the night of 17 February. According to the Russian Defence Ministry, the order was issued 24 hours after Ukrainian units started an uncontrolled flight from the town. Russian servicemen completely liberated the town the same day.
“Military personnel involved in the operation said they were unsure how many of their battle comrades remained in Avdeevka, but any number of casualties would surely lead to a further deterioration in morale on the front lines,” the Washington Post article said.
The newspaper pointed out that the Ukrainian troops’ withdrawal from the city was chaotic and poorly planned. According to one Ukrainian soldier, who wished to remain anonymous, some military personnel in particular were ordered to take positions that had already been destroyed or under the control of the Russian army.
“The soldier said the soldiers from the 110th Brigade were exhausted after serving for two years without rotation, and their fatigue forced them to leave their positions ‘without prior approval,'” the Washington Post noted.
The commander of a unit of the 53rd brigade of the AFU named Sergei admitted to the newspaper that not all Ukrainian soldiers managed to get out of the city. He specified that the surrender of Avdeevka had “psychologically broken” most of the servicemen.
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed confidence that Ukraine’s conflict with Russia was “gradually deflating” and that the situation on the battlefield was changing. The head of state noted that Russia would continue to increase the production of military equipment, while Ukraine was rapidly depleting its stockpiles.