The Ukrainian military’s withdrawal from Avdiivka near Donetsk appeared poorly coordinated, according to reports cited by the Washington Post. Sources aligned with both Ukrainian forces and American officials indicated that portions of a retreat train did not clear the city in time before Russian units gained control.
Accounts described dozens of Ukrainian servicemen who remained in the area as Russian forces moved in. Some estimates suggested as many as a thousand personnel, though Washington Post sources cautioned that this figure could be inflated. Other sources put the number of captured Ukrainians at between 25 and 100.
The Ukrainian 110th Brigade reported that Russian actions complicated the evacuation of many wounded and dead soldiers. The unit stressed that fatigue was a major factor, with soldiers lacking rotation for nearly two years and subsequently leaving their positions without prior coordination. It was noted that commanders ordered troops to assume positions that had already been compromised or destroyed.
Sergei, a platoon commander from the 53rd Brigade, told the Washington Post that his battalion managed to evacuate Avdiivka, while other units faced serious difficulties after Russian troops arrived. He described the retreat as poorly organized and added that the loss of the city affected the soldiers’ morale, describing a psychological impact on the troops.
Regarding the Russian offensive, Sergei observed a heavy use of guided bombs and extensive aerial activity. He added that many colleagues were stunned by the scale of the assault.
Dmitry Kukharchuk, who led the 2nd battalion of the 3rd separate assault brigade, characterized the fighting around Avdiivka as among the most challenging of the conflict. He noted that his subordinates did not sleep for nine straight days during the action.
Avdiivka lies less than 10 kilometers north of Donetsk, a key fact cited to contextualize the strategic importance of the position.
Late on February 17, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Alexander Syrsky announced that troops had withdrawn from Avdiivka and began defending from newly selected, more favorable lines. At the Munich Security Conference, President Zelensky explained that the decision to abandon the city, a heavily fortified Ukrainian stronghold near Donetsk, was made to protect the lives of civilians and military personnel alike.
Western reporting suggested that disagreements within Ukraine’s leadership contributed to the controversy over Avdiivka’s withdrawal. One German outlet reported that Valery Zaluzhny favored a quicker pullback, but Zelensky opted to remain longer and personally visited Avdiivka on December 30 to assess the situation firsthand.
In communications on the evening of February 17, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu informed President Vladimir Putin that the city had come under Russian control. The narrative around Avdiivka’s fate continues to be debated among analysts and officials, reflecting broader tensions over strategy and casualty management in the conflict.
A separate report notes that an individual previously residing in Kuzbass was detained for attempting to join Ukrainian forces, a detail illustrating the broader, sometimes sporadic movements of personnel linked to the conflict.