Ukrainian forces withdraw from Avdiivka after fighting for several months. This is Russia's largest symbolic victory after the failure of the counterattack launched by Kiev last summer.
Ukraine faces several challenges: attacks by Russian forces, faltering US military aid, and a shortage of fighters, weapons and ammunition. On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine, and it stipulates that Kiev abandons plans to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which Kiev considers an interference in its sovereignty.