Update on the situation Saturday February 17 at 5 p.m.
The withdrawal of the Ukrainian army from the eastern town of Avdiivka was a “fair decision” For “save as many lives as possible”while Ukrainian soldiers were struggling to resist the onslaught of Russian troops, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday.
A number of Ukrainian soldiers were captured by Russia during their withdrawal from the town of Avdiïvkasaid Oleksandr Tarnavsky, the Ukrainian commander in southeastern Ukraine, on Telegram. “Relevant Ukrainian institutions will appeal to international humanitarian organizations and intermediary countries to ensure that the enemy treats prisoners of war humanely, in accordance with the norms of international humanitarian law, and that our soldiers return to their homeland”he added.
According to last assessment of the Ukrainian General Staff, the Ukrainian army killed 1,050 Russian soldiers, destroyed 11 tanks and 28 artillery systems over the last twenty-four hours.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky deplored on Saturday in Munich the current lack of long-range weapons and ammunition available to his armywhich according to him favors the progression of Russian troops in their offensive against his country.
The drone coalition was officially launched as part of the work of the Ukrainian Defense Contact Group, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry announced, on Facebook. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov signed the letter of intent and expressed his ” gratitude “ to the coalition co-leads, Latvia and the United Kingdom, for this initiative.
Ukrainian shelling leaves at least three dead and four injured in Panteleimonivka, a village in Donetsk Oblast, controlled by the Russian army, an official of the occupation authorities said on Saturday. The toll could rise, because “we clear the rubble”wrote, on TelegramDmitry Shevchenko.