Avdiivka, a Ukrainian town taken by Russia, shown in ruins

Nadezhda Prokopenko clears debris in the yard of the house of a relative that was destroyed in a Russian missile strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Selydove near Avdiivka, Ukraine, February 19, 2024. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The trees are splintered, the houses wrecked, the surviving civilians live in basements, NATO ammunition has been abandoned - this is the picture shown by footage released by Russia from the ruins of the Ukrainian town of Avdiivka.

The town, once with a population of 32,000, fell to Russia on Saturday, President Vladimir Putin's biggest victory since Moscow captured the city of Bakhmut in May 2023.