Russian President Vladimir Putin heard the news of the liberation of Avdeevka on February 17. The day before, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that the operation was almost complete.
The Russian military has lost more than 1,500 troops in the battle for Avdaevka since the start of the conflict in Ukraine in March 2013. The battle is expected to be over by the end of the month, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense, which is in charge of the operation in Ukraine.