Ukrainian troops withdraw from bloody battlefield Avdiivka as ammunition shortage bites

Ukrainian troops withdrew from the devastated eastern town of Avdiivka, Ukraine’s new army chief said in the early hours of Saturday (February 17), paving the way for Russia’s biggest advance since May 2023 when it captured the city of Bakhmut. The withdrawal, announced as Ukraine faces acute shortages of ammunition with U.S. military aid delayed for months in Congress, aimed to save troops from being fully surrounded by Russian forces after months of fierce fighting, Kyiv said. General Oleksandr Syrskyi, who took the helm of the Ukrainian military in a major shakeup last week, said Ukrainian forces had moved back to more secure positions outside the town that had a pre-war population of 32,000. “I decided to withdraw our units from the town and move to defense from more favorable lines in order to avoid encirclement and preserve the lives and health of servicemen,“ he was quoted as saying in an armed forces statement. The loss of the town nearly two years into Russia’s full-scale invasion may give President Volodymyr Zelensky a stronger case to make to the West for more urgent military aid as he addresses the Munich Security Conference on Saturday morning. Read more: The Sun delivers breaking news, latest gossip and incredible exclusives around the world with hubs in London, New York, Scotland and Ireland. Covering topics from news, money and sport along with our famous Fabulous Magazine, The Sun is the biggest news brand in the UK and one of the fastest growing news sites in the US. Stay tuned for video clips across the biggest news stories and segments from The Sun’s expert journalists. Become a Sun Subscriber and hit the bell to be the first to know. Read The Sun: Like The Sun on Facebook: Follow The Sun on X: Follow The Sun on TikTok: @thesun Subscribe to The Sun on Snapchat: #ukraine #russia #worldnews #war