The Ministry recalled that only isolated groups of Ukrainian Armed Forces fighters managed to hastily leave Avdiivka, abandoning their weapons and military equipment. Now Russian troops are clearing the city of militants and blocking their units.
The view shows damaged and abandoned Ukrainian military equipment on the roads.
On February 17, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to President Vladimir Putin about the capture of Avdeevka. 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.
In addition, the Russian Armed Forces completely liberated the coke plant in Avdeevka.