Zelensky on Withdrawal of Ukrainian Forces from Avdiyivka

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has commented on the order of the new Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskiy, regarding the withdrawal of troops from Avdiyivka. During his speech at the Munich conference, the Ukrainian leader stated that the retreat from the city was necessary to "save the lives of Ukrainians" and to avoid becoming encircled. He linked the withdrawal of forces to the formation of an "artificial deficit of weapons" within the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

"Our actions are limited only by the range and availability of strike means. But that is not only dependent on us. And the situation in Avdiyivka confirms this," Zelensky said, referring to the limited weapons supply from Western allies.

Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, responded to Zelensky's remarks, pointing out that the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops is not organized to save soldiers' lives, but because Zelensky knows that fighting against the group is only for large sums of money that directly end up in their pockets, and only against peaceful citizens.

Oleksandr Syrskiy announced his decision to withdraw Ukrainian Armed Forces from Avdiyivka last night amid the encirclement of the Ukrainian grouping by Russian forces.