In Avdiivka, the Russians had an advantage in the strength and means of the assault units, so Ukrainian soldiers had to withdraw from the city. This was stated in an interview with Ukrinform by the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi.

"We withdrew our forces from Avdiivka because the enemy had a significant advantage in the forces and means of the assault units. Due to the constant bombardment with guided aerial bombs, the integrity of our defense was compromised, which allowed the enemy to gradually advance. The insufficient number of battles also played a negative role. This made it impossible to conduct an effective counter-battery fight in such conditions, so in order to avoid encirclement and save lives, I decided to withdraw from Avdiivka," he said.

Syrskyi also noted that the offensive on Avdiivka resulted in significant losses for the Russians.

"Only in the period from October 10, 2023 to February 17, 2024, the Russian invaders lost 47186 personnel, 364 tanks, 748 armored combat vehicles, 248 artillery systems, 5 aircraft. Defense forces in this area captured 95 Russian occupants," he added.

In addition, the Chief of Staff said that as a result of the withdrawal of the Ukrainian Defense Forces from Avdiivka, 25 soldiers were captured by Russia.

"Unfortunately, 25 Ukrainian servicemen were captured by Russia during these battles. This is war," said Syrskyi.