Russian forces are in front of the Avdiivka railway station, confirming the information that Ukrainian forces abandoned the city to avoid encirclement.

The city of Avdiivka, which had a population of 30,000 before the war, is located right next to Donetsk and has been the scene of intense fighting since 2014. With the large-scale Russian invasion in 2022, the fighting intensified, reducing the city to rubble. In October 2023, Russia reinforced the offensive, and today, February 17, after almost 2 years of fighting and a more intense phase of 4 months, the city (or what's left of it) was captured by Russia.

This marks Russia's first significant victory in Ukraine since the capture of Bakhmut 9 months ago, in May 2023.