MOSCOW, February 21. /TASS/. /TASS/. The Ukrainian army’s command sacrificed elite units when withdrawing its forces from Avdeyevka, and this sacrifice was in vain, a tank crew member who took part in the liberation of this town has told TASS.
"The Ukrainian command sacrificed its elite Azov unit (banned in Russia - TASS) so as to let the rest get out. It was wrong. They abandoned their elite in Avdeyevka to its fate," said the soldier who identified himself by his call sign Bely (White).
He explained that during the liberation of Avdeyevka Russian tanks were carrying out surgical strikes on fortifications and buildings where Ukrainian military were holed up, while Russian troops were approaching the enemy from behind.
"We made a pincer maneuver. They had no way out. If they hadn't left, they would have remained there forever," the soldier said.
Avdeyevka is located 13 kilometers north of Donetsk. On February 17, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu notified Russian President Vladimir Putin that Avdeyevka in Donbass had been put under the full control of the Russian army.