According to an American newspaper, defeat could undermine the morale of Ukrainian troops, who are close to completing 2 years of war
During the retreat from the town of Avdiivka, hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers may have been captured by the Russian army. According to the newspaper New York Timesup to 1,000 military personnel are missing after President Vladimir Putin's offensive in the region.
On Saturday (17.Feb.2024), Russia claimed control of Avdiivka, in eastern Ukraine, marking the largest Russian hold since the occupation of the city of Bakhmut in 2023.
The withdrawal of Ukrainian troops was announced on Friday (Feb 16) by the Ukrainian Defense Forces, after Moscow intensified attacks on the region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky justified the decision to leave Avdiivka as a measure to “save soldiers’ lives”.
The Ukrainian military command admitted that some soldiers were captured during the withdrawal, but estimates of the number of soldiers taken by Russian forces vary.
In a message on Telegram on Saturday (Feb 17), General Oleksandr Tarnavsky, who leads the fighting in the region, stated that the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops went as planned, but admitted that “in the final phase of the operation”some soldiers “they fell into captivity”.
He did not specify the number of troops lost. However, according to the NYT2 officials indicated that 850 to 1,000 soldiers may be captured or missing.
Also according to the American newspaper, the morale of Ukrainian troops was already in decline due to an unsuccessful counteroffensive the previous year and the dismissal of Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the country's top military commander on February 8. This would have made military recruitment difficult, which intensified with the defeat at Avdiivka.
With the war about to turn two years old, Ukraine has repeatedly pressured Russia to exchange prisoners. As of November, Kiev reported that Russia held 3,574 Ukrainian military personnel captive.
Furthermore, Zelensky faces difficulties in securing financial support from countries allied with Ukraine, such as the USA, and suffers from a shortage of ammunition.
In December, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said funding for Ukraine would run out by the end of 2023 if the US Congress did not approve President Joe's emergency spending request. Biden.
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