Russian forces take control of Avdiïvka, in the east of the country

After six months of fierce fighting, Ukraine announced on Saturday February 17 its withdrawal from the town of Avdiïvka, “to avoid encirclement and spare the lives of soldiers”. “In accordance with the order received, we withdrew from Avdiïvka to positions prepared in advance. (…) This is the only right decision”, declared Ukrainian general Oleksandr Tarnavsky. Russia, for its part, claimed “total control” of this industrial city in eastern Ukraine.

There remained 900 inhabitants in Avdiïvka, which had more than 30,000 before the war. Many of them were evacuated, others preferred to stay. “I was waiting for the Russian soldiers to arrive to see depending on the circumstances, explains a resident, to go with them if it was too difficult.” “I didn’t want to go to Ukraine because I don’t have anyone there, my whole family is here, in the Donetsk region”.