Russian President Vladimir Putin has hailed his army's capture of the Ukrainian town of Avdiivka as an "important victory" following Ukraine's withdrawal of troops from the key eastern town.
During a meeting at the Kremlin on Saturday, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu briefed Putin on the capture of the front-line town, as stated by his ministry. Russia's defence ministry said that it had taken "full control" of the town, reports said.
The defense ministry stated that Avdiivka was a crucial defensive position for Ukraine's armed forces, and losing it would shift the front line away from Donetsk, weakening Ukraine's capacity to target the Russian stronghold.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that the President commended our military and fighters for achieving a significant victory and success.
The recently appointed military leader stated that Ukrainian forces have been pulled back from Avdiivka following prolonged conflict and minimal success in resisting Russian forces on the eastern front of the country, as per Al Jazeera's report.
The town, which had become one of the most fiercely contested battlegrounds on the eastern front, witnessed an escalation of Moscow's attacks, including airstrikes, artillery bombardment, and ground assaults by armoured vehicles and soldiers, CNN reported on Saturday.
