Russian President Putin congratulates servicemen for capture of Ukraine’s Avdiivka
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Russian President Vladimir Putin called the capture of Avdiivka "an important victory".
PHOTO: REUTERS
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MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated military units and their commander on Feb 17 on the capture of the Ukrainian city of Avdiivka,
The Kremlin website said he was presented with a report on the capture of the city from Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.
“The head of state congratulated Russian soldiers on this success, an important victory,” it said.
Russian news agencies quoted a telegram that Mr Putin sent to the commander of the “centre” group of forces in Ukraine, Colonel-General Andrei Mordvichev.
“For outstanding military activity, I express my gratitude to all troops under your direction who took part in battles for Avdiivka,” the agencies quoted Mr Putin as saying.
The telegram listed units taking part in the operation.
Russian forces had been engaged in sustained attacks on Avdiivka since mid-October. It had been briefly held by pro-Russian groups in 2014 when they seized large chunks of eastern Ukraine, but later retaken by Ukrainian forces.
Capturing the city was likely to provide a morale boost for Russia ahead of Mr Putin’s bid for re-election in March, almost certain to result in his victory.
It is also seen as a key step in securing Moscow’s hold on the regional centre of Donetsk, about 20km to the east, which has been held by Russian and pro-Russian forces since 2014. REUTERS
