Ukraine shuts 'post-apocalyptic' battlefield town to civilians

FILE PHOTO: A mine danger sign and anti-tank constructions are seen near the border with Belarus, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine in Volyn region, Ukraine January 13, 2023. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich

KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine shut the eastern town of Avdiivka to non-military personnel on Monday, describing it as a post-apocalyptic wasteland, as Kyiv tried to break the back of Russia's flagging winter offensive before a counter-assault of its own.

A Ukrainian general said Kyiv was planning its next move after Moscow appeared to shift focus from the small city of Bakhmut, which Russia has failed to capture after several months of the war's bloodiest fighting, to Avdiivka further south.