After fierce fighting

Russian troops have taken Avdiivka

Russian soldiers in Avdiivka

(Bild: AP/Russian Defense Ministry Press Service)

Russian troops reported on Monday that they had taken the embattled town of Avdiivka. The extensive complex of the coke and chemical factory was said to be under complete control. The Russian military had already reported the capture of most of the town in the east on Sunday (see video above).

Avdiivka is located in the industrial region of Donbass, close to the occupied city of Donetsk. Before the war, the Soviet-era coking plant was one of the largest in Europe. Now, according to Russian reports, Ukrainian units had entrenched themselves in the factory on the north-western outskirts of the city.

The fall of Avdiivka is Russia's greatest success since the capture of Bakhmut in May 2023. On Saturday, the new army chief Olexandr Syrskyi announced that the Ukrainian troops had retreated to positions outside the city to avoid being surrounded. The Ukrainian military has not yet commented on the case.

An aerial view of the coking plant

(Bild: ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Russian soldiers in Avdiivka

(Bild: AP/Russian Defense Ministry Press Service)

Withdrawal of the Ukrainian soldiers
The city was heavily contested for months. According to Ukrainian reports, the last Ukrainian soldier left Avdiivka early Saturday evening. "The operational situation in eastern and southern Ukraine remains difficult," wrote the General Staff in Kiev on Facebook.

Unarmed forces had even been shot dead. "An investigation has been launched into the shooting of unarmed prisoners of war in Avdiivka and Vesele," announced the Donetsk regional prosecutor's office.