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The capture of Avdiivka is Russia's most important territorial victory in a long time.
Ukrainian military officials speak of a poorly planned withdrawal.
KYIV - Ukraine failed to safely evacuate all of its troops from the eastern city of Avdiivka during its disorderly withdrawal last weekend.
Their new top military commander had claimed that this was intended to save lives in the Ukraine war and prevent encirclement by the advancing Russians.
At least six wounded soldiers from the 110th Brigade were stuck behind Russian lines, where they were apparently later "executed," the brigade said in a statement posted on Facebook.
Military officials who took part in the operation said they did not know how many other soldiers were also left behind.
But any number of casualties will further deteriorate morale on the front lines as Ukrainian troops, already outgunned and outnumbered, struggle to replenish their ranks and await further support from the West.
Avdiivka: important victory for Russia in the Ukrainian war
The capture of the strategically important and now almost completely destroyed city of Avdiivka, about 15 miles from the occupied regional capital Donetsk, was Moscow's most important territorial victory since the capture of Bakhmut last May.
In the days following Ukraine's withdrawal, various accounts have emerged, including those supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's claim that many more Russians were killed or wounded in the fighting for the city than Ukrainians.
Three U.S. officials said Wednesday they learned from Ukrainian officials that dozens of Ukrainian soldiers remained behind enemy lines as their units withdrew.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said previous reports that up to 1,000 Ukrainians were missing or taken prisoner appeared to be exaggerated.
However, they acknowledged that the situation remains serious and many remain behind.
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Ukraine asks for treatment of war wounded
A senior US official said his Ukrainian counterparts had reported to him that at least 25 Ukrainian soldiers had been captured by the advancing Russian army.
The Ukrainians later confirmed to U.S. officials that the number could be closer to 100.
The 110th Brigade's statement said constant attacks from Russian aircraft, artillery and drones had made it impossible to "evacuate several seriously wounded and dead soldiers."
After Russian forces surrounded some of the troops, Ukraine attempted to contact Russia through intermediaries and request that the wounded be treated and captured.
According to the brigade, Russia agreed but later released video footage showing that three of the soldiers were already dead.
Ukraine separately confirmed that two of the other wounded soldiers were also killed, the brigade said, and is still seeking information about a sixth.
Ukrainian security services drone operators at a coal and chemical plant near Avdiivka, Ukraine, on February 6.
© Wojciech Grzedzinski/The Washington Post
Ukrainian military: withdrawal was chaotic and poorly planned
The footage circulated on Ukrainian social media, and Ukrainian media reported that family members confirmed the deaths of their loved ones seen in the video.
Other members of the Ukrainian military familiar with the final weeks of fighting in Avdiivka and Ukraine's rapid withdrawal from the city described the situation as chaotic and poorly planned.
The reports suggest that the withdrawal ordered by Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, who was appointed commander-in-chief of Ukraine by Zelensky this month, was a grim and dangerous operation - hardly the orderly retreat to "more advantageous positions" that Ukrainian military officials believed at the time claimed.
A soldier, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the situation, said some troops had been ordered to "take up positions that were either already lost or destroyed."
Constant Russian attacks made the task impossible, as Russian forces outnumbered Ukrainian forces 7:1.
Russia constantly bombed the area, dropping up to 60 guided bombs a day, which Ukraine was unable to repel due to a lack of anti-aircraft defenses.
Soldier speaks of “indiscriminately throwing in units”
The soldier said that the troops of the 110th Brigade were exhausted after two years of non-rotational service and their fatigue caused them to abandon their positions "without prior coordination."
“The situation was not saved systematically, but by indiscriminately throwing in units,” the soldier said.
“They did not release the pincer that formed around Avdiivka in time… and that gave the enemy the opportunity to form a bridgehead.”
Serhiy, 41, a platoon leader with the 53rd Brigade who spoke on condition that his last name not be used in accordance with military regulations, said he left Avdiivka four days ago.
He said all soldiers in his battalion managed to escape the city, but he understood that others were "stuck."
If the withdrawal from the city was planned at all, said the platoon commander, “it was very poorly planned.”
Platoon leader helped with Avdiivka evacuation – “most people are shocked by everything”
When the reserve troops arrived, the last evacuation route out of the city was almost cut off, Serhiy said.
On weekends he helped evacuate pilots from the area at 5 or 6 a.m., and by 8 a.m. the road they were using had already been controlled by the Russians.
His troops wanted to return, but given the heavy rain and the rapid Russian advance, they were later ordered not to re-enter the city, even off the road.
Due to severe exhaustion, the commander said he could not remember whether they left on Saturday or Sunday.
His platoon has already been moved to areas around the city and is now fighting a "very difficult situation," he said.
The hasty retreat and loss of Avdiivka “broke the boys a little psychologically,” Serhiy said.
“Lots of guided bombs, lots of air strikes.
Honestly, most people are shocked by all of this.”
My people in the positions didn't sleep for nine days.
Commander Dmytro Kucharchuk
Dmytro Kucharchuk, commander of the 2nd battalion of the 3rd separate Ukrainian assault brigade, said that the battle in Avdiivka "was probably the most difficult battle in the entire Russian-Ukrainian war."
Before the city fell to the Russians, his unit was responsible for holding the entire left flank of the Ukrainian military there.
“My people in the positions didn’t sleep for nine days,” he said.
But when the order to withdraw came, they evacuated all of their own wounded and also many wounded from other units.
Battle for Avdiivka: Russian forces also appear weakened
“Our unit was second to last to leave,” he said.
In his opinion, most of the other troops also left the city safely.
“Of course there’s a lot I don’t know,” he admitted.
“But as far as I know, most of them managed to leave the city.” Despite the final capture of Avdiivka, the battle for the city also appears to have weakened Russian forces.
Russian military blogger Andrei Morozov of Russia's 4th Motorized Rifle Brigade, who went by the name Murz, reportedly died by suicide this week after posting an earlier statement on Telegram that Russia has deployed 16,000 troops and 300 armored vehicles in the country since October I lost the city.
The post also praised Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Syrsky for his "skillful" withdrawal from Avdiivka and estimated that "in the best case scenario for us," Ukrainian forces would have lost 5,000 to 7,000 soldiers, while Russia lost many more.
A “major criminal case” should be initiated against those responsible, Morozov wrote, claiming that the St. Petersburg Mobilization Regiment 1487 had been “reduced almost to zero.”
And you, soldiers... die in silence.
Military blogger Andrei Morozov
But instead of facing an investigation, Morozov wrote, the commanders responsible for the losses “have already been made heroes.
And you, soldiers... die in silence.”
Russian blogger Morozov has to delete Avdiivka post and commits suicide
After state television host and pro-Kremlin propagandist Vladimir Solovyov attacked Morozov's post, which appeared on the Telegram blog "They write to us from Ioannina," the blogger was ordered to delete it.
Morozov deleted the post and left a long suicide message on his channel.
He said his commander had been warned that the army would block the unit's supply of military supplies such as grenades, new tanks and armored fighting vehicles if the post was not deleted.
“I will shoot myself if no one dares to deal with this trifle.
And they will give you tanks and helicopters,” Morozov wrote.
“I cannot serve under you and tell the truth at the same time.”
The message goes on to say that the survivors of the decimated St. Petersburg regiment “have seen everything and know everything, but cannot say anything because they are intimidated.
If I can't change anything, then you have to win the war yourself with what you have."
Robyn Dixon contributed to this report from Riga, Latvia.
By Anastacia Galouchka
We are currently testing machine translations. This article was automatically translated from English into German.
This article was first published in English on February 21, 2024 at the “Washingtonpost.com” - as part of a cooperation, it is now also available in translation to readers of the IPPEN.MEDIA portals.