BEIJING, February 19. /TASS/. Ukrainian units retreating from Avdeyevka and the liberation of this strategically important location by Russian forces represent the most significant change in the special military operation since last May, Hu Xijin, columnist with China’s Global Times, said.
"There is a major development. Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi suddenly announced on Saturday his decision to withdraw Ukrainian units from Avdiivka in the Donetsk region. This is the most significant change on the Ukrainian battlefield since May of last year and the latest trend favoring Russian President Vladimir Putin," the political scientist said.
Hu noted that the Ukrainian troop withdrawal occurred when US President Joe Biden's request for approval of the bill on aid to Ukraine was obstructed by the Republican Party in Congress. "The US has always been the largest external sponsor of Kiev," he reiterated.
The columnist also noted that the volume of financing by EU countries for the Kiev regime is significantly below the amount proposed by the US administration. "Although it is not ruled out that [the bill] will eventually pass, Western support has become unreliable, and this impression has gradually spread in the overall situation of the Ukrainian war, weakening the confidence and long-term expectations of Kiev and boosting Russia's morale," he stressed.
According to the Chinese expert, the Ukrainian conflict has morphed into "a typical war of attrition, with the entire West's resources and determination pitted against Russia." He noted that US journalist Tucker Carlson who visited Moscow recently "directly said to the camera that [Western] sanctions haven't worked."
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, on February 17, units from Russia’s Battlegroup Center, while advancing, completely liberated Avdeyevka and moved 8.6 kilometers forward. Ukrainian losses in combat for the city in the preceding 24 hours alone have surpassed 1,500 troops. Avdeyevka is located 13 kilometers north of Donetsk.