Ukrainian army withdraws from embattled city of Avdiivka. The new Commander-in-Chief Syrsky explained that he had avoided encirclement.
He doesn't want to give up the city. Russian troops have been trying to capture Av diivka since October 2023 with heavy losses. A Russian victory in Av Diivka would be the most significant gain in territory for Moscow since the capture of Bakhmut in the spring of 2023. The situation for the Ukrainian defenders in the city had become increasingly difficult.