Highlights: Ukraine: what consequences for kyiv after the loss of Avdïivka. The Russian strike force on other nearby cities will gain in power, since it is an advance on the ground. Cities like Pokrovsk, Kostantinivka, and further afield Kramatorsk, were also heavily bombed on Saturday evening. This battle shows the importance of Western support for Ukraine to face Russian aggression. Far from this front line, President Zelensky is doing everything to develop bilateral agreements with his partners.

In Ukraine, after months of fierce struggle, the town of Avdïivka fell into the hands of the Russians, the first major victory since the capture of Bakhmout in May 2023, and a victory which comes…

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Ukraine: what consequences for kyiv after the loss of Avdïivka

In Ukraine, after months of fierce struggle, the town of Avdïivka fell into the hands of the Russians, the first major victory since the capture of Bakhmut in May 2023, and a victory which comes almost two years after the start of the large-scale invasion of the country by Russia. Symbolically, it is an important victory for the Russians, strategically, it is a setback for the Ukrainian army.

Ukrainian soldiers on the front line near the town of Bakhmut, in the Donetsk region, in June 2023. AFP - ANATOLII STEPANOV

By: Emmanuelle Chaze

From our correspondent in kyiv,

The Russian strike force on other nearby cities will gain in power, since it is an advance on the ground. Cities like Pokrovsk, Kostantinivka, and further afield Kramatorsk, are now even more exposed. Kramatorsk and Sloviansk which were also heavily bombed on Saturday evening. Avdïivka had already passed into the hands of the Russians in 2014 then it had become, in particular its industrial zone, a fortification deemed impregnable and it was through wear and tear and due to overwhelming numerical superiority that the city fell into the hands of the Russians. . This battle shows the importance of Western support for Ukraine

face Russian aggression - General Tarnavskiy who commands operations in the east of the country spoke of 10 to 1 fighting at the artillery level , of excess Russian troops thrown against the Ukrainian army relentlessly, including the reserves. The situation was simply untenable for the Ukrainian soldiers who found themselves under Russian fire.

Read alsoWar in Ukraine: Russia claims “total control” of Avdiïvka

The Battle of Avdïivka was the first major decision for General Syrsky, the new commander-in-chief of the armies. At the time of Bakhmut, it was he who decided to keep the Ukrainian troops there for months, which earned him the nickname "butcher", that is to say if he did not enter in office with the popularity of his predecessor General Zalouzhny. However, the state of mind within the army and the population is no longer the same as at the start of 2023, we are almost two years into the war, with a counter-offensive which has not had the expected results, and thousands of dead and wounded while the soldiers who had been fighting for two years were exhausted. And in all official speeches, it is affirmed that the highest priority is to preserve their lives - it is this argument in particular which was used by Syrsky to justify this withdrawal.

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Far from this front line, President Zelensky is doing everything to develop bilateral agreements with his partners, while we are still uncertain about the future of aid from the United States. At the same time, we see that Volodymyr Zelensky signs bilateral agreements, similar to the one signed with the United Kingdom in January: during his visit to Berlin, it was with Germany that a security agreement was signed, over ten years and with a promise of aid of 7 billion euros for 2024, but still no delivery of long-range Taurus missiles. A similar agreement was also signed with France, which promises 3 billion euros this year to Ukraine. These bilateral treaties are being put in place while there is still great uncertainty about the future of American aid, blocked by Congress.

On the ground, as we saw in Avdïivka, Ukraine simply does not have the time to wait for this aid to be released and kyiv is therefore turning to bilateral agreements in addition to the aid guarantees provided by its European partner.

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Ukraine: what consequences for kyiv after the loss of Avdïivka

Ukraine: what consequences for kyiv after the loss of Avdïivka

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