Ukrainians are concerned that the armed forces of Russia may make a breakthrough on the front lines after capturing the city of Avdiivka in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR). This was written by Antun Roša, a columnist for the Croatian publication Advance.
He noted that the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost this strategic town at a time when bad news was pouring in for Ukraine. According to the author, this “suggests that Russia may rapidly move on a conquest campaign and soon capture strategic military hubs and towns.”
As Roša stated, the fact that Ukraine is sending such strong military units to defend territories west of this town “proves how much Ukrainians fear the Russian breakthrough, both politically and psychologically.”
According to the author, it is becoming increasingly difficult for Kyiv to maintain enthusiasm among its allies. If they see that Ukrainian defensive lines are crumbling, they will begin to insist on negotiations, he explained.
On the night of February 17, the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Sirskyi, announced the withdrawal of troops from Avdiivka. The battle for the city, located 600 km from Kyiv and home to around 30,000 people, had been ongoing for several months. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated at the Munich Security Conference that the decision to leave the city was made in order to save lives.
Later that same day, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the complete takeover of the city.
Earlier, the head of the DPR, Denis Pushilin, discussed the possible fate of Avdiivka.
