(RepublicanPress.org) – News outlets recently erupted with the news that Russian troops took control of a city in eastern Ukraine. On February 18, Russian forces effectively seized control of Avdiivka following the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops. The capture comes after four months of intense fighting and resistance from Ukrainian forces.
Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, the recently appointed commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, said commanders decided to withdraw troops from the area to “preserve the lives and health” of servicemembers, according to a recent report by The Guardian. He also said the shift in forces would provide an opportunity to stabilize the front lines by moving troops to more favorable defensive positions.
Trees splintered, houses wrecked, civilians in basements, and ammunition abandoned — this is the picture shown by footage released by Russia from the ruins of the Ukrainian town of Avdiivka https://t.co/BRziZFJEdK
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 20, 2024
Russian troops have continued their westward push beyond Avdiivka. Dmytro Lykhoviy, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s regional field commander, told reporters the Russians were “trying to actively develop [their] offensive” in the region. He also pointed to 14 failed Russian attacks on a village about a mile from the city’s northern edge.
Ukrainian defense forces have struggled with several issues over the last few weeks. For example, recent reports indicated that Ukrainian troops were running low on certain kinds of ammunition and gear. Additionally, rumors have circulated that Russian soldiers were using Starlink communications systems inside occupied regions in Ukraine.
At home, Congress and the White House continue to grapple over the authorization of additional funding for Ukraine. Some conservative lawmakers are calling for increases for domestic issues like increasing border security instead of continuing the transfer of taxpayer dollars overseas. They also raised concerns over reports that Russia is attempting to launch nuclear weapons into space.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre addressed mounting concerns about Avdiivka a few days before the Russian advance. Predictably, she warned that the city was “at risk of falling into Russian control” due to Congress’s inability to pass a supplemental funding bill to provide Ukraine with the “artillery shells” its military “desperately” needed to “disrupt [those] Russian assaults.”
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