Journalists from the publications claim that the published messages are “Russian disinformation.” The materials have already been deleted, but screenshots have gone viral online.
On February 17, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to President Vladimir Putin about the capture of Avdeevka. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost more than 1.5 thousand military personnel in the battles for Avdeevka per day.
As the Russian Ministry of Defense emphasized, the order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Alexander Syrsky to abandon Avdievka was issued only a day after the uncontrolled flight of the Armed Forces of Ukraine began.
The defense department also emphasized that the liberation of the city by Russian troops made it possible to move the front line away from Donetsk.