During withdrawal from Avdiivka, 25 Ukrainian soldiers were captured – Syrskyi

The Armed Forces of Ukraine and the entire country are making efforts to release from captivity Ukrainian soldiers who were covering the withdrawal from Avdiivka.

Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said this in an interview with Ukrinform.

“Unfortunately, during these battles, the Russians captured 25 Ukrainian soldiers. This is war... Russian propagandists are trying to use various videos with captured Ukrainian soldiers to discredit the Ukrainian Defense Forces, put psychological pressure and spread panic among Ukrainians. I want to tell these soldiers, if they hear me, and I want to tell their families that we have not forgotten anyone, and we are doing everything to free these servicemen from enemy captivity. The leadership of our state, the Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate and the Armed Forces Command are fully involved in these efforts,” said Syrskyi.

He noted that units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were forced to withdraw from Avdiivka because the enemy had a significant advantage in terms of the forces and assets of assault units. Non-stop bombardment by guided aerial bombs broke the integrity of defense, which allowed the enemy to gradually advance. The insufficient amount of ammunition for artillery also played a negative role. This prevented the Ukrainian forces from conducting an effective counter-battery fight in such conditions. To avoid an encirclement and save people's lives, the decision was made to leave Avdiivka, Syrskyi said.

“It is also worth remembering that the offensive on Avdiivka resulted in significant losses for the enemy, and they will unlikely talk about this on "Russian" television. From October 10, 2023 to February 17, 2024, on the Avdiivka axis, the Russian invaders lost 47,186 troops, 364 tanks, 748 armored fighting vehicles, 248 artillery systems, and 5 aircraft. Since the beginning of the Avdiivka defensive operation, the Ukrainian Defense Forces have captured 95 Russian invaders in this sector,” stressed Syrskyi.

As reported by Ukrinform, Russia’s total combat losses in Ukraine from February 24, 2022, to March 29, 2024 amounted to about 440,790 troops.

Photo: Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces