Tarnavsky: several soldiers taken prisoner during the withdrawal from Avdiivka

Heavy fighting continues in Avdiivka, with Ukrainian troops withdrawing from destroyed positions and consolidating their hold on new ones. But some soldiers have been captured. The commander of the Tavria Brigade, Oleksandr Tarnavsky, wrote about this in a telegram.

According to him, Ukrainian reserves are being sent to the area, and the evacuation of the wounded is complicated by the continuous shelling, but is being carried out.

"The enemy is throwing all the reserves at the assault, moving them from other directions, and is trying to push our defence.

The Ukrainian Defence Forces continue to hold back the Russian occupiers, who are outnumbered in personnel, artillery and aviation," he wrote.

Ukrainian soldiers are manoeuvring out of the destroyed positions and consolidating their positions on new defence lines, Tarnavsky said.

"I emphasise that the priority is to save the lives of our soldiers. Therefore, if necessary, they are moving to new positions. Unfortunately, during one of these withdrawals, several of our fighters were captured. We will fight for the release of each of our comrades," he wrote.

He said that the fire at the Avdiivka Coke Plant continues, where Russian terrorists set fire to a tank with naphthalene residues and bitumen resin in the warehouse as a result of shelling.

According to the commander, between 1 January and 15 February 2024, the lion's share of occupants' losses in the Tavriya sector occurred in Avdiivka.

Since the beginning of the year alone, the occupiers' losses in this area have amounted to 20,018 people, 199 tanks and 481 armoured combat vehicles.

"Avdiivka defensive operation continues. The enemy is paying the highest price," he noted.