A defeat could undermine the morale of Ukrainian troops as they near the end of the twoyear war, according to an American newspaper
Hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers are believed to have been captured by the Russian army during the retreat from the city of Avdiivka. According to the New York Times, up to 1,000 soldiers are missing following President Vladimir Putin's offensive in the region.
On Saturday (February 17, 2024), Russia took control of Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine, marking the greatest Russian influence since the occupation of the city of Bakhmut in 2023.
The withdrawal of Ukrainian troops was announced by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Friday (February 16) after Moscow stepped up attacks on the region. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky justified the decision to leave Avdiivka as a measure to “save the lives of soldiers.”
The Ukrainian military command admitted that some soldiers were captured during the withdrawal, but estimates of the number of soldiers captured by Russian forces vary.
In a message on Telegram on Saturday (February 17), General Oleksandr Tarnavsky, who is leading the fighting in the region, said that the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops had gone as planned, but admitted that “at the final stage of the operation” some soldiers “They were taken prisoner.”
He did not provide any information on the number of troops lost. However, according to the NYT, two officials said that 850 to 1,000 soldiers could be captured or missing.
According to the American newspaper, the morale of Ukrainian troops was already low due to an unsuccessful counteroffensive last year and the February 8 dismissal of Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the country's top military commander. This would have made it more difficult to recruit military personnel, which became even more difficult with the defeat at Avdiivka.
With the war nearly two years old, Ukraine has repeatedly pressured Russia to exchange prisoners. In November, Kiev reported that Russia was holding 3,574 Ukrainian military personnel captive.
In addition, Zelensky has difficulty receiving financial support from countries allied with Ukraine, such as the United States, and is suffering from ammunition shortages.
In December, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that if the US Congress did not approve President Joe's emergency spending request, funding for Ukraine would be exhausted by the end of 2023. Biden.