Ukraine withdraws troops again as Russia steps up attack

This is the latest setback for Kiev's troops in the village of Lastochkyne, where they had to retreat to nearby villages in an attempt to hold the line there, Dmytro Lykhovii, a spokesman for one of the Ukrainian army groups, said on state television.

Damaged buildings after Russian forces completed their takeover of Avdiivka, eastern Ukraine. The Donetsk region is controlled by Russia. Photo: AP

Lastochkyne is located west of Avdiivka, a suburb of Donetsk, which Russian forces captured on February 18 after a four-month battle. Ukrainian forces were overwhelmed by Moscow's military might, and Ukraine opted to withdraw and set up defenses elsewhere.

The Russian Defense Ministry said its troops had “liberated” Lastochkyne.

Russian state news agency RIA Novosti quoted local commander Andrei Mordvichev as saying that Russian troops had pushed Ukrainian forces back 10 km (6 miles) and were continuing their attack.

While not a major loss, the abandonment of the village illustrates the challenges Ukraine now faces on the battlefield. This new phase of the war has brought some bleak developments for Ukraine.

Ukraine says Moscow's army is advancing, attacking towns and cities with its superior firepower, despite huge losses in troops and equipment.

Western analysts say the Russians are pushing hard along four parallel axes in the northeast, aiming to push deeper into the western part of the Ukrainian-held Donetsk region and also penetrate into the Kharkiv region to the north of the region.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustan Umerov complained on Sunday that half of the military assistance promised to Ukraine by the West had not arrived on time. That, he said, made it difficult to carry out proper military planning and ultimately cost soldiers' lives.

Western leaders have vowed to stand by Ukraine, with Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov travelling to Kiev on Monday to show his support.

Mai Anh (according to AP)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/ukraine-lai-rut-quan-khi-nga-day-manh-tan-cong-o-chien-truong-phia-dong-post285906.html