The number of captured soldiers may decrease, added Dmitry Likhovoy.
Ukrainian units have completed their withdrawal from Avdeevka.
The speaker of the operational-strategic group of troops “Tavria” Dmitry Likhovoy announced this on the telethon.
“This completion took place, it took place yesterday (February 17 – Ed.),” said Likhovoy.
When asked about the number of captured Ukrainian fighters, the OSUV speaker answered, that there is no new information about them yet. At the same time, information about the quantity will change, Likhovoy believes.
“This number may still decrease when, probably, some of them will return to their units after leaving, which took place in difficult conditions, this may be the case. We need painstaking verification of all those who have left, but have not yet joined their units… This is a process which takes a certain amount of time,” said the speaker of the Tavria OSUV.
Likhovoy added that “this quantity is not enough to talk about any large scale of this phenomenon.”
- By the decision of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Alexander Syrsky, Ukrainian troops left Avdiivka and went on the defensive on more advantageous lines.
- The commander of the Tavria OSUV, Alexander Tarnavsky, confirmed that there is a decision to leave the Zenit position in the east of the city.
- President Zelensky commented on Syrsky’s decision to withdraw the Ukrainian military from positions in Avdiivka. He believes that this is a professional decision, the purpose of which is to save the lives of Ukrainians.
- When the personnel of Ukrainian units left the settlement, a number of Ukrainian military personnel were captured, the commander of the Tavria Operational-Strategic Group of Troops Alexander subsequently reported Tarnavsky.