After the Ukrainian army announced, in a painful blow and setback, the withdrawal of its forces from its last strongholds near the city of Donetsk in the east of the country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commented on the matter.
“To protect the lives of Ukrainians”
Zelensky saw that the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Avdiivka was to preserve the lives of Ukrainians.
On Saturday, he considered that the decision to withdraw forces from the east of the country in the area located on the front line was taken “to save the lives of Ukrainian soldiers.”
He added that this was in order to avoid being besieged, and it was decided to withdraw to other lines.
All things push the Ukrainian army to withdraw from Avdiivka
He also stressed that this does not mean that people retreated a few kilometers and Russia seized something, but it did not seize anything.
He continued that the ability to save the people is the most important task for Kiev at this time.
The decision to withdraw came after the failure of the counterattack launched by Kiev last summer, as Ukrainian forces withdrew from their last stronghold near the city of Donetsk in the east of the country.
On Saturday, the Ukrainian army announced its withdrawal from the eastern city of Avdiivka.
The region’s commander, Ukrainian General Oleksandr Tarnavsky, said via Telegram on Friday night, Saturday: “In accordance with the order we received, we withdrew from Avdiivka to pre-prepared positions.”
This is the first major decision taken by the new Supreme Commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Sirsky, after his appointment to this position on February 8.
Strengthening forces
It is noteworthy that this withdrawal from Avdiivka came at a time when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is conducting a European tour. Yesterday, Friday, he signed bilateral security agreements in Berlin and then in Paris to obtain long-term aid from the two countries, with pledges to provide military support of about ten billion dollars during the year 2024.
Avdiyevka has an important symbolic value, as it fell briefly in 2014 into the hands of Moscow-backed separatists, before returning to Kiev’s control, in addition to its proximity to the city of Donetsk, a stronghold of Russia’s supporters for ten years.
Russia has reinforced its forces with more elements and ammunition to take control of Avdiivka days before the second anniversary of the start of its invasion.
#Bilad #newspaper #Zelensky #withdrawal #Avdiivka #protect #lives
