MOSCOW (Agencies): On Saturday, the Russian Defense Ministry announced a significant development in the ongoing conflict in the Donetsk region. Russian Armed Forces have successfully seized full control of the city of Avdeyevka, a crucial northern suburb of Donetsk.
The Avdeyevka Coke and Chemical Plant, which had been a fiercely contested stronghold, is now completely liberated from Ukrainian forces. The Russian military’s relentless efforts, including artillery strikes and aviation operations, led to this pivotal victory. Battlegroup Tsentr remains actively engaged in securing the area.
Avdeyevka, also known as Avdiivka, has been a flashpoint since the start of the special military operation. The Ukrainian Armed Forces have consistently targeted the capital of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and other densely populated regions in Donbass from this location.
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu personally reported to President Vladimir Putin, confirming that Avdeyevka is now fully under Russian control. The president expressed his congratulations to the military for this significant achievement.
This triumph marks Russia’s most substantial gain since the capture of Bakhmut in May 2023. It coincides almost precisely with the two-year anniversary of President Putin’s decision to initiate a full-scale war by ordering the invasion of Ukraine.
Avdeyevka, once home to approximately 32,000 residents, sits in the industrial heart of the Donbas region, just 15 kilometers (9 miles) north of the Russian-occupied city of Donetsk. Before the conflict, the Soviet-era coke plant at Avdeyevka was one of Europe’s largest.
As the situation unfolds, there has been no immediate response from Ukraine. However, Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, stated that Ukrainian troops strategically withdrew to more secure positions outside the town to safeguard lives and health.
This victory underscores the intensity of the conflict and its far-reaching implications for the region. The world watches closely as tensions persist in this volatile theater of war.