Ukrainian troops left Avdivka......

 

Ukraine has withdrawn its troops from the main eastern city of Avdivka, which has been besieged by Russian forces for months.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he took this decision to save the lives of soldiers.

Russia's Defense Ministry said on Saturday that President Vladimir Putin had taken "full control" of the city, calling it a "significant victory".

Its defeat is Russia's biggest victory in months, and Mr Zelensky blamed a decline in Western arms supplies.

The approximately 30,000 residents of Avdiivka before the conflict left the city, which was nearly completely devastated.

Ukraine is facing an arms shortage, mainly due to political infighting in its main supplier, the US.

 

US President Joe Biden blamed the inaction of Congress on a critical foreign aid package — including funding for Ukraine — for Ukraine's withdrawal from Evdivka, which forced troops to ration ammunition.

Mr. Biden reaffirmed America's unshakable support for Ukraine in a call with Mr. Zelensky.

During his speech on Saturday at the Munich Security Conference, Mr. Zelensky asked Western nations to assist Ukraine in defeating Mr. Putin, whom he referred to as the "monster".

He warned that if the Western world did not stand with him, Russian leaders would make the next few years "disastrous" for many other countries, including Ukraine.

On February 24, 2022, Mr. Putin began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.