Ukraine Pulls Back Forces From Besieged City of Avdiivka | WSJ News

Ukraine’s top military commander ordered forces to retreat from Avdiivka early Saturday, giving the Russian army its first major victory in recent months. Photo: Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images
#wsj #ukraine #russia

[@tle7427]

2025: Ukraine says Kiev has no strategic importance

[@CyberMan4858]

Later 2025 : "ukraine was if no strategic importance" 😂

[@Deltasquadformingup]

Russias never gonna break Ukraine in the next 10 years, Ukraine has essentially lost, they wont be able to break Russian lines either, but have the safety of knowing Russia wont send everything they have, because this would be a security threat as NATO or China could attack and they'd have nothing. This war won't end until Russia deems it's costed the west enough money, they'll keep crimea ,dontesk and Luhansk then move on, Its likley Ukraine will join NATO leaving Russia still very strong, but europe at peace. It's a decent deal for everyone Russia and Belarus has the ability to defend itself from NATO and could probably resist an invasion and NATO is plenty strong though and motivated to defend from Russia. I hope it ends this way, it let's all the people who wanted to be Russian be Russian and all the people who wanted to be independent be independent

[@BunnyMast]

keep dreaming

[@CyberMan4858]

@@BunnyMast a dream destined to come true

[@williammorris584]

Now that’s a preemptive announcement.

[@rrt4511]

This is very confusing, western propaganda tells me every day that ukraine is winning😂😂😂

[@markverhelst7970]

the tell everyboddy that ukranie is winning its like goebels in the ww2 tell more lies en the believe the truth

[@Headphones.on.Seals.]

It is so-called brainwashing

[@lw1zfog]

NEWSPEAK

[@matthewhowe3727]

Western propaganda also told us: 1) Covid came from bats. 2) Was not created in a lab. 3) Two weeks to stop the spread. 4) Mask save lives. 5) Social distancing works. 6) Shutting down the economy will stop Covid. 7) The vaccine is "safe and effective". 8) The virus stops with each vaccinated person.

[@Xtian982]

So unless Ukraine is constantly winning..they’re losing By that standard Russia is a disaster.

[@TheRealBillBob]

Pulls back= retreat as fast as you can!!! 😂😂

[@CallForGrandPappy]

“Pulled back”? Ukraine got completely routed, the photos of the dead they left behind are horrific.

[@comradekenobi6908]

Yeah many statements from Ukrainian soldiers themselves they have to leave the wounded behind. Idk how anyone could call that a success

[@user-et3sc7ym1i]

Есть понятие "организованное отступление", а есть понятие "панические бегство" именно поэтому украинцы бросили раненых оружие и боеприпасы!​@@comradekenobi6908

[@Cavecanem-sl4zq]

Zelenskyy is my favourite comedian😂😂😂

[@Nkv-lv8ic]

«we protect our soldiers» that’s a wild thing to lie about

[@ericp1139]

But wasn’t Ukraine winning?

[@mrsmith3540]

No

[@markverhelst7970]

propoganda like the ww2 the are lying to the people that ukraine is wining its onely for more monney and the americans are still in it like ever other war in the world the agressor is not the rus its the american

[@VESSEL7TH]

Not without US support

[@timmcgraw3096]

Ofc, in warhammer40k world

[@brucewayne3892]

Did you not hear? Avdiivka is of no strategic importance and Ukrainians are bravely advancing back!

[@SJ-lt6yf]

even worse, over thousand Ukrainian soldiers still encircled in the city

[@misiknuo]

Divided in 3 Pockets..

[@ZivineYT]

According to what?

[@suryanshsagar2677]

7k probably

[@XTheLolX301]

​@@ZivineYTto all the POW videos coming out on twitter and telegram

[@ZivineYT]

@@XTheLolX301 I’m in russian telegram groups and haven’t seen anything. Only thing I’ve seen from russian media is a “certain number” of Ukrainians were captured. Which means nothing

[@efghggdxlmfn33]

So, the Wagner Group, which has been 'destroyed', and the 'unprofessional' Russian Army, somehow managed to capture Bakhmut. And now, Avdeevka? But the professional Ukrainian Army, with the help of NATO weapons, are still trampling on the village of Rabotino, near which they trampled in early June last year. There is definitely a narrative collapse happening here.

[@lw1zfog]

NATO tech is clearly no match for shovels & repurposed washing machine chips

[@agradina]

nato weapons but low numbers provided and the most important weapons aircrafts zero.

[@sH-ed5yf]

Yes. Like in ww2 they pay with heavy casaulties for every meter

[@efghggdxlmfn33]

@@sH-ed5yf Do you think the Ukrainian army is dying much faster than Russian, considering that Russia sustains it's army by only volunteers, while Ukraine wants extra 500k soldiers, despite kidnapping people off streets to throw into military for two years? (Through open-source research, the Russian independent media outlet Mediazona, together with BBC Russia, confirmed the names of 42 000 Russian soldiers who have been killed since February 2022)

[@efghggdxlmfn33]

@@agradina quantity turns into quality. Do you know such wisdom? This is a war of industrial potentials. Abrams? Joke. F-16? The range of AMRAAM missiles for f16 is 75 km, for su35 AA-13 "Arrow" up to 300 km. F-16 won't even see who slammed it.

[@bradleyriles3889]

Two years ago WSJ were making it sound as if the Ukraine flag over Moscow was safe money.

[@Ab-cj6gl]

2025: kiev has no strategic importance 2026: USA : Ukraine has no strategic importance

[@SerboAssassin]

братья работают!🇷🇺

[@lancecahill5486]

Zelenskyy is delusional. He can’t keep justifying his defeats and withdrawals as some strategic moves.

[@thewedge8823]

Ukraine is great at creating new coping mechanisms.

[@RyanLeague]

At least they are not Russia who killed Alexei navalny

[@pjotr9507]

@@RyanLeague but US and other countries from nato like to create lies to make russia seem more bad, example: poland missile "incident", russia blowing up their OWN pipeline, Ghost of kyiv

[@bansheep1]

​@@RyanLeagueyes you're correct they're not Russia..

[@drexelmildraff7580]

I believe your headline should read: "Ukraine suffers major defeat in Avdiivka." And it wasn't exactly that the Ukraine "pulls back", but more like "Ukrainian troops running for their lives".

[@floxaz128]

Ukraine lost Avdiivka, Russia lost 47k soldiers there

[@brucewayne3892]

​@@floxaz128right... And any day now Russia will run out of troops and weapons and collapse. Right?

[@Hydemic]

​@@floxaz128And Santa Claus exists

[@floxaz128]

@@Hydemic nope

[@icekidtvshorts4504]

​@@floxaz128I thought Russia lost 100k men, 50k armored vehicles and 75k fighter jets trying to capture the city. Your number is a little low comrade

[@TheSerg2bob]

The chaotic retreat began 2 days ago, they ran away in single groups, abandoning the wounded. We will soon hear from Zelensky that Avdiivra is not important.

[@safiul1930]

The fall of avdiivka, the fortress city.

[@ahmadmaulana2163]

lossers

[@julia_1945]

Украинцев брать в плен и госпиталя. Наемников НАТО в плен больше не брать!

[@hauntedgunterhotel]

Urra!!! Russian flags flying high in Avdiivka. Viva Rusia!!! 🇷🇺🇲🇽

[@joshuapaul2022]

In reality the third assault brigade (Azov) refused to fulfill suicidal Syrsky orders (Bakhmut Zelenskyy/Syrsky lunacy all over again) and started running away from Avdiivka. Other units followed suit. They ran under Russian artillery fire and through mine fields with disastrous consequences. Around 500 wounded were left behind in Adviivka. In any other army generals are court marshaled for such command. Syrsky wanted to turn Avdiivka in Bakhmut 2.0. Zelenskyy and his minions are simply incapable of learning from past blunders. Even NYT noticed in desperation: "Some American officials say the fight in Bakhmut has become something of an obsession for Mr. Zelensky and his military leaders." Bakhmut was a slaughter which was entirely Zelenskyy folly as Stalingrad was entirely Hitler's folly. Zelenskyy just for media hype wasted on average 500 troops daily (total tally was at least 51 000 KIA) in Bakhmut meat grinder even when all escape routes came under Russian fire control and this debacle turned into a sheer slaughter of Ukrainian troops. But obsessed with Bakhmut Zelenskyy didn't stop even at that. Since May 20 when Russians took Bakhmut General Syrsky (Zelenskyy minion) launched wave after wave of suicidal counterattacks failing to retake a single village near Bakhmut (parts of villages Andriivka and Kleshiivka are still controlled by Russians and it's driving Zelenskyy nuts) while wasting thousands upon thousands of hapless Ukrainian conscripts. This ongoing obsessive lunacy that makes zero military sense is simply astounding. Avdiivka is another Zelenskyy obsession. Russians established fire control over all escape routes from Avdiivka . Russians even mined escape routes. At this point it turned into a slaughter of Ukrainian troops which are sent to Avdiivka in huge numbers (yeah, Zelenskyy and his minions are that dumb even after Bakhmut debacle) . Dnipro crossings are another example of Zelenskyy lunatic behavior. Just for media hype Ukrainian command got Ukrainian troops into a small fire sack on Russian bank. It keeps sending troops into this meat grinder without even bothering with the evacuation of the wounded. It's nuts. Zelenskyy is the gift that keeps on giving for Russians.

[@fitmesslife]

I'm fairly convinced that the real motivations here are Raytheon ones. Keep it going long enough to buy more weapons. Neither lose nor win; both are bad for the business model.

[@user-pg4sh9ki6v]

Azov Nazi Battalion refuses to follow Paddington Bears orders.

[@joshuapaul2022]

​@@backing5284 You are still living in a fantasy land. Russians have artillery advantage 1:10 according to BBC (previously it was 1:6 according to WaPo). Russians use more than 150 precision glide bombs every single day with total impunity. This catastrophic disparity in firepower is exacerbated by incompetent at best (lunatic is a better word here) Ukrainian command.

[@user-pg4sh9ki6v]

@@backing5284 Russia has won. Now Russia will rebuild. Not the Clinton Foundation or Blackrock.

[@redxhand]

​@@backing5284 And yet they keep pouring it all out.

[@bonggekhiong1512]

There are still Ukraine Soldier trapped in Avdiika right ?

[@poppystars9005]

Yes the Ukrainian’s never seem to understand when they are done.

[@ericp1139]

Oh yes. It’s another Mariupol disaster. But the media will mostly ignore it this time.

[@ahmedadnan6144]

you mean prisoners.

[@misiknuo]

about 1500 of them divided in 3 pockets..

[@yanapompom]

They have been captured. They will live.

[@WalkOverHotCoal]

Zelensky looks very worried. He needn't to because there is always a job waiting for him in Washington. What job? Have you seen how unconvincing John Kirby is lately? His "spin magic" left him. On the other hand, Zelensky's spin magic is getting more and more believable. Germany signed a security pack with him, and France didn't want to be left behind, and promptly did the same. In other words, Europe still believe what Zelensky said. John Kirby...watch out ! Zelensky will take your job from you.

[@yazyanuar1484]

Mr. Putin reach his goal

[@leszas872]

What is the difference between Zelensky and Putin? At least Putin knew to withdraw early if he's losing!

[@scottackley9948]

...and still win..

[@no-bodymr6419]

Russia know the time when they should retreat as they did in Kherson, they weren’t going to risk their soldiers defending a city with high chance of their only supply line getting cut off at anytime.

[@sayulitalyfe5299]

I thought the Russians were losing and running out of fuel and fighting w shovels. 😂😂😂😂

[@Saithama666]

Imagine Loosing to Shovels...

[@user-qz3um5rw4g]

His Ukrainian is grinding my ears, can he speak a language he knows?

[@eternalbattle1438]

Elensky grew up in a Jewish Ukrainian family that speaks Russian as the first language. He used to speak Russian until February 24th, 2022. I can confirm that his Russian accent is pretty much still noticeable lol.

[@user-qz3um5rw4g]

@@eternalbattle1438 For me it's more about vocabulary than accent, he just uses Russian words changing only pronunciation, basically he speaks surzhik, and a bad one.

[@crimsonJerom]

May be russian? lol

[@spitfire3797]

@@user-qz3um5rw4gI’m surprised Ukrainians don’t say anything about his Ukrainian being kinda bad I thought he was speaking fluently like a native

[@user-qz3um5rw4g]

@@spitfire3797 I myself am not a native Ukrainian speaker, but I know the language, the reason why you don't hear about his Ukrainian from Ukrainians is that they don't comment a lot in English, because most of them don't know the language, add to that that there is Literature Ukrainian that most Ukrainian people don't know, in the west they speak Gacul dialect, in the center it is a dnipro dialect, and in the east it's surzik, and in central and east Ukraine Russian is dominant in cities, and Ukrainian dialects in countryside. P.S. most Ukrainians will find his Ukrainian wrong, but for different reasons.

[@profinneupane6883]

How many Ukrainians are trapped inside the city? Or have they all managed to retreat? Saw some videos of captured ukrainian forces

[@piton8888]

1000 - 2000, and a lot of abandoned wounded among them, as the retreat was very hasty and only healthy soldiers could move fast

[@TheDunnywillies]

I hope he thinks about peace talks rather than sacrifice people for his greedy gains

[@jalbertking5170]

lol Russia ftw!

[@wewillwinthistrueishard]

British advisers to Kyiv are to blame for the death of Il-76 As a source told RIA Novosti, Kyiv’s British advisers are behind the attack on the Il-76 with prisoners of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, shot down by a Ukrainian missile. “The attack on the Il-76 was carried out under pressure from British advisers without coordination with the air defense headquarters in Kiev and without additional cross-checking of information about the movement of aircraft over the Belgorod region,” the source said. Tucker Carlson in Russian

[@lw1zfog]

the likes of UK MP’s Johnson & Cameron are members of centuries old elite families, who are happy to make monies off the back of untold human miseries.

[@Xtian982]

Source: Trust Me Bro

[@Kpot009]

American stocks 📉📉

[@user-qm6uk7pt8p]

Зеленский, пожалей мужиков. Представь на минуту, что это твои дети. Бессмысленная смерть

[@fitmesslife]

A lil help with your title: " Avdevka Denazified" You're 🤗 welcome.

[@AmosMosesJr]

With that philosophy the Russian leaders can kill a whole generation of their own citizens not to mention those living in Ukraine. If you would explain, why do you think these people are Nazis and why shouldn't we think you're just repeating propaganda. As dubious as your claim is what actual offense have they done to Russia to deserve this?

[@ZivineYT]

Yet Russia and Wagner have actual Nazis in their ranks. Nice try

[@patcisz3474]

Facts

[@stillcovalent]

Ukraine's pullout game is stroong

[@abhishes]

"Pulls back" you meant to say "lost". Western media and their choice of words.

[@rassilkrishnan3120]

This is starting to look like the Eastern front in World War 2 during the 1944-1945 period.

[@sdinim8695]

It’s clear he wants more us taxpayers money to defend Avdiivka.😂

[@sparkyfromel]

The Ukrainian soldiers had just learn that wounded couldn't be evacuated and that there was no supply they went for the escape corridor in small group of mates , no wounded walking was a must some stayed with the wounded , some had no communication and stayed in place , it was totally uncoordinated with the troops making a run for it , Ukrainian brass decided to call it a redeployment mud was ankle deep ,couldn't run , the field was surrounded by Russians firing, artillery mortars machine guns from some interview the casualty rate running through the breach seems to have been 2 for three dead and there is no prepared defense line .

[@ashishbairagi7981]

usa: Are we winning son

[@AAhilless]

Run Forest. Run!

[@Jumpstyleish]

Good! Saves soliders lives before holding this completly bombed city til the end. We have to realize, Ukrainian SOLIDERS are strong but Russia is a military Superpower.. Thats a fact, this will never end if they do not go to the table. Everything is just sad, i blame Putin and many Western leaders for this War. The war industry people and their shareholders are getting rich, and they do not want this war to stop.

[@user-xi7pv8dg5s]

I remember this one! was actually top mvp in this game mode back in 1984

[@KD-nk3ht]

Not one cent should be wasted on Ukraine.

[@Goku-mz2nc]

Their "president" won't let you rest if you don't give him money.

[@jeddvillaspin3379]

OK vatnik.

[@coldpotatoes2556]

He will just keep going from country to country getting A1 media coverage telling us how he save Democracy...the man who banned Democratic elections😂😂😂 he should at least juggle or have to do some performance for all that money. I vote he has to ride a unicycle whilst people throw tomatoes at him and he can't get off it till he says the Russian alphabet in reverse😂

[@SUNNYDAY-if8yo]

Ran away with what's left

[@Kokoshi]

WSJ couldn't post fast enough how Ukraine is losing there.

[@Revlimiter295]

How bout EU stand up to the bully in there backyard and stop putting on USA

[@mera1379]

What no more tik toks NOOOOO 😂

[@magratea123]

Pulls back with legs kicking own butts. 😂 Clown didn't make it

[@Iktius]

Run to the hills, run for your lives

[@Oblivion9000]

Title should have said : Ukriane is advancing backwards to trick the Russians

[@x111tian]

Why can't the media use the word retreat

[@nickngunjiri4282]

So they didn't loose just a mere pull out 😢

[@user-vj6us1nn9q]

News when Ukraine defends a city: That's right, the city is important and the soldiers are fighting bravely to defend it! 😤☝ News when the city falls into Russian hands: Yes, hehe... It wasn't that strategically important anyway. 😓👉👈

[@danmal333]

Pulls back:Run Forest run

[@kylebell7879]

It was a really sloppy withdrawal 😢

[@Xtian982]

Wow Bots are going mental on this Avdiivka thing

[@buentaste]

Pull back? Noo they did not pulled back they fled to save theirs lives. YOU ARE Dishonest shame in you...

[@garysetiadi366]

Ukraine rushed in the elite 3rd brigade and Abrams tanks just a week ago. Have they been destroyed by the Russians?

[@marknus89]

Dangerous shovels.

[@forytube4998]

Putin use 2% of his real power, up from 1%😊

[@sH-ed5yf]

Sure kiddo. Sometimes I ask myself if any of you is serios

[@StPiter111]

Russia won't stop😎

[@sH-ed5yf]

And why 3xcactly are you celebrate the russians

[@coldpotatoes2556]

Wall Street Journal: Zalensky loses, Raytheon wins✌️

[@trevorsutherland5263]

If you have friends in Robotyne....

[@MaJieMao]

Ukrainian morale is low their general was replaced, and they see the Americans no longer supporting them.

[@user-ns6ql9kk5q]

Parade through the streets. Putin in his bulletproof car at the end

[@zoom777]

But Ukraine is winning 🤣🤣🤣

[@4TwentyFour20]

adivka has no strategic value, crimea is the prize

[@ilovehihats]

Даешь ЧУГУНИЙ!

[@chrisblanco2980]

Wow. Amazing what Russia can do with shovels and washing machines 😂😂😂😂

[@natpalazzo8833]

"Ukraine ordered its outgunned military forces to withdraw..." So after all the hundreds of billions of dollars the US and EU have pumped into Ukraine, plus all the military hardware they've donated, Ukraine is still outgunned? Where did all the money go?

[@sH-ed5yf]

Ask the hi dress of thousands dead russians and the thousands of destroyed vwhicles of russia.

[@topicalstormofficial]

Enough of the smokers voice, Turdinsky.

[@sinclair2469]

its a city that had around 30k people, basically it could be classified as a village under a other reasonable nominator as well. Nothing to boast about this victory, and most important def not significant..

[@no-bodymr6419]

You should take a look at the map, Avdiivka is only few kilometers away from Donetsk, it had been a frontline city for Ukraine army against the DLPR since 2015. You clearly don’t understand this war at all.

[@sinclair2469]

@@no-bodymr6419The many reports i have seen its purely about taking Avdiivka

[@user-ek9wt8tc3l]

beatiful

[@tomvandenbossche4733]

ah looking at the comments - the trolls are climbing out of their holes ;)

[@Yuri_Volkov]

Am I the only one worried about Zelensky's chronic runny nose?

[@jefrreylewis3076]

All down to nato this tragic war gl

[@user-ek9wt8tc3l]

excellent

[@user-fj5fb8sh7d]

They better beg some more

[@corycg9624]

Now you know why this war is hardly talked about on western media anymore because Ukraine is losing

[@Stupiditas-stupido]

This is not withdrawn this is special submarine operations 😂

[@HilarityBribo]

🇷🇺👍🇷🇺👍

[@ingmasgno9367]

congratulations comedian 🎊

[@sH-ed5yf]

What for. Fighting against a invader

[@TalkingPoint773]

The organs are worth a mint on global markets.......

[@gran3241]

Can American taxpayers now stop being the host for the leech Zelensky?

[@hazlotumismoroofingymas]

I don’t understand what he saying but I can smell bullcr*p

[@XKS99]

You mean retreat?

[@user-up5vr7zn9v]

Run boy run

[@Bobby-bd7fq]

russia has officially captured the city of avdiivka...to zelensky, lower your ego and stop being fooled by our country the united states of america. the time has come to negotiate, negotiating does not mean admitting defeat but rather a commendable step if it can save the lives of your people and soldiers

[@al.947]

Repatriate the ukraininas to 🇺🇦 It's their duty to defend their lands. Stop dogging your obligations.

[@lw1zfog]

nah mate, they are currently all in Lidl’s, moaning about the prices.

[@KacongMadureh-vl6ry]

Jgn paksakan dirimu masuk jd anggota NATO dan kawan Amerika cs. Apa kamu Mr.zlensky tidak sadar dulu kau satu bangsa dg Rusia lalu kau memusuhinya demi mereka yg menjadi perusak dunia

[@ronaldinhomessiz]

Clowen

[@keithmorgan3295]

Ahhh, the Russian Johnsonofabic offensive continues.

[@hanarmy3225]

Did the Vietcong outgunned US + allies? Did the Taliban outgunned US+allies ? if not, why they can win ?

[@jeddvillaspin3379]

Dude, guerilla tactics is really effective in the 1970s plus the AK47 rifle is more superior than the american counterpart. If they use the same tactics today, with drones in existence, I doubt they can even come out in their holes.

[@markverhelst7970]

Zelenskyy will lost this war from rusian the rus can fight for 3 jears of war with older tanks and soldiers the new weapon from the rus he is holding behind to hit like a snake

[@ZivineYT]

Russia has been trying to take the city for 10 years, cope harder

[@jeddvillaspin3379]

They cannot even take Kyiv last 2 years while they have more weapons and troops.

[@Gokuvisits]

I am on russia side

[@sheklipit2995]

💥APAKAH SEPADAN DENGAN JANJI AMERIKA.?

[@henryterranauta9100]

You’re lost my fellow

[@arianshaholli7770]

It’s Trump’s fault lol