"The fall of Avdiivka": up to a thousand Armed Forces fighters could be captured by the Russian Federation during the retreat - NYT

A considerable number of Ukrainian military could have missed or were captured by the fact that the exit of the Armed Forces from Avdiivka of Donetsk region was poorly planned and started too late, reporters said. From 850 to 1000 Ukrainian military could be captured by the Russian military or disappeared during the departure from Avdiivka of Donetsk region. This was reported by New York Times. Currently, the calculation of how many Ukrainians have been captured or missing is different.

However, two soldiers said it could be from 850 to 1000 soldiers. According to US officials, the loss of Avdiivka is not a serious strategic failure, since the success of the occupiers will not necessarily lead to the collapse of Ukrainian defense, and unitly the Russians will be able to continue the offensive. Journalists noted that taking hundreds of fighters can change it.

American officials reported that among the Ukrainian military, the morale had deteriorated after the counter -offensive in 2023 and the resignation of the Armed Forces Commissar Valery Zaluzhny. As a result, the Ukrainian army has problems with hiring. While the loss of military with the experience of hostilities will "enhance the need for additional troops. " "As a result of the fall of Avdiivka, it may be more important than it seemed at first," the message said.

According to soldiers and Western officials, "the inability to carry out an orderly departure" from Avdiivka and "Chaos" led to the fact that the defense was destroyed, and a considerable number of military was captured. They stressed that the exit was poorly planned, but it began too late. According to Ukrainian officials, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation suffered great losses in battle. In particular, thousands of Russian military were killed and wounded.

US strategists believe that it is difficult to remove an army without significant losses, but it is possible to do it "in a conscious, leisurely operation. " "For Ukrainians, the challenge of leaving Avdiivka was complicated by the fact that Russia surrounded the city on almost three sides. One road with a solid coverage was the most viable way to the city and from it," journalists said.

The media emphasized that this route, the "road of life", was in a direct threat in early February, which as a result made the departure "much more dangerous". The publication, citing the military, added that some units of the Armed Forces could retreat earlier than others, which "put the remaining parts of the surroundings of the Russians.

" We will remind, on February 20 a spokesman of the operational-strategic group of troops (Osv) "Tavriya" Dmitry Likhov reported that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation came in the area of ​​Avdiivka of Donetsk region, but according to other tactics. In particular, the enemy uses small assault groups to use a small amount of armored vehicles.