Russia says its forces move forward after Ukraine withdraws from Avdiivka

FILE PHOTO: A view shows residential buildings after Russian military strikes in Avdiivka. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty/Serhii Nuzhnenko via REUTERS

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Saturday that its forces had inflicted a series of defeats on Ukrainian forces along the 1,000-km (620-mile) front line just as Ukrainian troops withdrew from the devastated eastern town of Avdiivka.

The Ukrainian withdrawal from Avdiivka paves the way for Russia's biggest victory since the May 2023 capture of Bakhmut after a deadly battle that left thousands dead in a devastated city with barely a building intact.