Ukrainian military forces have withdrawn from the city of Avdiivka after four months of intense Russian assaults near the occupied Donetsk. The decision was made by the Chief Commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, to preserve the lives of soldiers and prevent their encirclement. The significance of Avdiivka for Ukraine and Russia, and the potential impact of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ withdrawal on the frontline situation, are discussed in this material. Military experts Oleksandr Musiienko and Oleksii Hetman provided comments during the preparation of the material. What…