Russian army chief reveals details of capture of Avdiivka

Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian general staff, said that the liberation of Avdiivka by Russian troops was quick, but after a long period of preparation.

"The main task that was set has been fulfilled, Avdiivka has been liberated. It should be said that it was liberated in a fairly short time, but it was preceded by a long period of preparation," Russian media quotes Gerasimov as saying, according to Caliber.Az.

Earlier, Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu told President Vladimir Putin that Avdiivka had been liberated with minimal losses among Russian troops. 

The operation to capture the town has been prepared by the General Staff since last fall, the minister revealed. The Russian command used high-precision strikes against key points in the Ukrainian positions, Shoigu stated, adding that over 450 such strikes were carried out daily during the operation.

Russia seized control of Avdiivka on February 17, inflicting heavy casualties on Ukrainian troops amid their retreat, reportedly reaching up to 1,500 in a single day. The Ukrainian command, however, has insisted the rout was actually an organized withdrawal on the order of Kyiv’s freshly-appointed top general, Oleksandr Syrsky.