Ukraine withdrawing from Avdiivka, where outnumbered defenders held out for 4 months

By ILLIA NOVIKOV and BARRY HATTON
Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s military chief said early Saturday that he’s withdrawing troops from the city of Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine, where outnumbered defenders battled a Russian assault for four months. In a short statement posted on Facebook early Saturday, Ukrainian commander Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi said he had made the decision to avoid encirclement and “preserve the lives and health of servicemen.” The timing is critical as Russia is looking for a morale boost ahead of the second anniversary on Feb. 24 of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the March presidential election in Russia. In recent days, reports emerged that Ukrainian troops in Avdiika faced a deteriorating situation.