Commander -in -Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Alexander Sirsky, announced the withdrawal of Ukrainian military units from Avdiivka.
This information was conveyed by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces on his Facebook page, according to him, the commander of the operational-strategic group of Tavriya troops Alexander Tarnavsky.
"Based on the operational situation around Avdiivka, in order to avoid the environment and preserve the life and health of servicemen, he decided to remove our units from the city and the transition to defense on more profitable borders," - said Sirsky.
"We take measures to stabilize the situation and keep the positions.
Tarnavsky, for his part, stated that the Ukrainian military, acting under the order received, left Avdiivka to prepared positions.
He also reported that as of 9:00 pm on February 16, heavy battles in the city continue, and a fire occurred at the coke plant due to shelling of Russian troops.
Tarnavsky also pointed out that for the first time on February 16, no Ukrainian unit was blocked by an enemy in Avdiivka. The city defense operation continues.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his position on the attempts of the Russian army to seize Avdiivka, saying that first of all it requires the preservation of the lives of defenders of Ukraine.
