In photos: The final days of the battle for Avdiivka

Two days after the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops, Russian forces have completed their takeover of Avdiivka. According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, its soldiers took “full control” of Avdiivka’s coke plant on February 19, eliminating the town’s last pocket of resistance. Located near the city of Donetsk, Avdiivka has been a frontline town since 2014 — and it continued to serve as a Ukrainian stronghold long after Russia began its full-scale invasion in February 2022. The Russian army began an all-out assault on Avdiivka last October and the push to encircle the town dragged on for months, reportedly costing Russia tens of thousands of casualties and major equipment losses. Meduza shares scenes from the final days of the battle for Avdiivka, in photos.

According to The Washington Post, Ukrainian forces began to withdraw from Avdiivka on February 15 — six months after Russian troops began a full-scale assault on the town. That same day, Russian forces captured the main road leading to Avdiivka, cutting off the main supply line for Ukrainian soldiers defending the embattled city.

The Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi announced the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Avdiivka on February 17. That same day, pro-war Russian Telegram channels began posting grainy photos and videos that appeared to show Russian troops planting flags in different parts of the town, including on the grounds of the Avdiivka Coke and Chemical Plant.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on February 17, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the decision to withdraw troops from Avdiivka aimed to save Ukrainian soldiers’ lives. “We are preserving our people, our warriors, because this is what defense is all about,” he said.

“The decision to protect people is right,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said in a post amid the withdrawal. “We will return to Avdiivka.”