Ukraine makes major troop withdrawal in key win for Putin and Russia

Ukrainian troops have withdrawn from the key battleground town of Avdiivka in the east of the country which could pave the way for a Russian advance as the war nears its second anniversary. 

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.

Most of the city’s pre-war population of 32,000 people has already left, and the town has been almost completely destroyed.

General Oleksandr Syrskyi, who took the helm of the Ukrainian military in a major shakeup last week, announced the withdrawal as a tactical move to save the lives of troops in a town that has been under heavy attack for months.