Russian Forces Consolidate Gains After Capturing Frontline Town in Donetsk

Officials in Kyiv and Washington blame the fall of Avdiivka on the continued delay of U.S. assistance earmarked for Ukraine’s struggling war effort.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin listens to Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu during a meeting in Moscow on Feb. 20, 2024. Sputnik/Alexander Kazakov/Pool via Reuters

Russia is consolidating its gains in Avdiivka after capturing the town in the eastern Donetsk region earlier this week, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

“Units of the central battlegroup have assumed more advantageous positions in Avdiivka while inflicting damage on [Ukrainian] mechanized brigades,” the ministry said in a Feb. 20 statement.