During the Armed Forces from Avdiivka, up to a thousand Ukrainian soldiers could be captured, the newspaper The New York Times said, citing assessments of the military and Western high -ranking officials. In the Armed Forces, this figure is categorically denied.
The article published on February 20 states that from 850 to 1000 soldiers could be captured or considered missing.
"Two soldiers who know about the retreat of Ukraine estimated that from 850 to 1000 soldiers, they seem to be captured or considered missing. Western officials said that this range seems accurate," the newspaper wrote.
The spokesman of the operational-strategic group of Tavriya troops Dmitry Likhov in a comment to BBC Ukraine denied this information, calling it "Russian narratives".
"In this case, NYT is spreading Russian narratives."
He explained that at the last stage of the Avdeevsky operation, under the pressure of much greater forces of the enemy, some of the Ukrainian servicemen were captured. But it is not about hundreds of military.
"We are currently operating with the concept of" some number has not been communicated. "Over time, individual servicemen who were first considered missing are communicated on our side; they are in hospitals or join their units."
According to Likhovia, this message is part of "information aggression", which Russia applies together with bombs and shells.
"Russian propaganda statements about hundreds and thousands of prisoners are misinformation that is not confirmed. Or, speaking directly, full lies," said Tavriya spokesman.
He added that the Russian military was also captured by the Ukrainian troops.
That writes NYT
NYT quotes Western officials that the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops was poorly planned and "chaotic".
Referring to interviews with soldiers, the publication writes that Ukrainian troops were not ready for the Russian advancement in Avdiivka last week.
Ukraine tried to win the time for the retreat of regular infantry forces, using the third separate landing brigade to cover the force of the special operation and the elite third individual assault team. But the units could not slow down the advance of the Russians and bring out every Ukrainian soldier.
"Chaotic indentation is not inevitable. It is difficult to take away troops without significant losses, but it is possible, if done in a conscious, leisurely operation, US strategists consider," the newspaper writes.
In their opinion, Ukraine has been waiting for a long time to start retreating in Avdiivka.
Photo author, Getty Images signature to the photo, Soviet monument to the dead warrior near the destroyed houses in Novoselivka First near Avdiivka
The military, who spoke NYT journalists, also said that the cause of chaotic retreat also caused problems with communication.
NYT interlocutors suggested that some units retreated earlier than others learned of retreat. This posed the remaining parts of the surroundings of the Russians.
What do the Ukrainian military say
At the same time, in an interview with BBC Ukraine, the deputy commander of the third separate assault brigade, Rodion Kudryashov called a way out of the operational environment "one of the best maneuvers in military arts."
The team was sent to Avdiivka at the last stage, when the Ukrainian forces needed immediate reinforcement, including assistance with possible waste.
Kudryashov explained in what difficult conditions there were retreat: the ratio of forces with the enemy was one to 11, the ammunition was missing, the Russians dropped controlled airbags that burned everything around.
"In some cases, the fighters of the 3rd brigade fought 360 degrees," the military said.
However, according to him, the Russians were unable to lock the ring, although they actually surrounded some of the Ukrainian units.
Despite the difficult retreat, Kudryashov considers him successful.
"Due to the successful planning, the qualities of the military, we did not allow the ring and revealed the rings that the Russians created inside the city," he said BBC Ukraine.
On Saturday, February 17, the Commander -in -Chief of the Armed Forces Alexander Sirsky announced the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Avdiivka in order to "avoid the environment and to preserve the life and health of servicemen."
On the same day, the commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine "Tavriya" Alexander Tarnavsky stated that at the final stage of the operation, "under the pressure of the prevailing forces of the enemy", several Ukrainian servicemen were captured.
Later, evidence of possible military crimes committed by the Russians appeared. Relatives of six dead soldiers found after the capture of the city say they were killed after being taken prisoner.
In a conversation with the BBC, several Ukrainian soldiers who retreated from Avdiivka mentioned that the request of the fighters for retreat command was rejected until they were in the Russian environment. When the order finally came, it was late - the military was surrounded.
