The timing of the withdrawal is critical as Russia looks for a morale boost ahead of the second anniversary on Feb. 24 of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the March presidential election in Russia.
Ukraine is withdrawing troops from Avdiivka, a city in eastern Ukraine that has been under Russian assault for months. The decision to withdraw was made by Ukrainian commander Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi and was based on the operational situation around Avdiivka.
Ukraine is withdrawing troops from Avdiivka, a city in eastern Ukraine that has been under Russian assault for months. The decision to withdraw was made by Ukrainian commander Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi and was based on the operational situation around Avdiivka.
The timing of the withdrawal is critical as Russia looks for a morale boost ahead of the second anniversary on Feb. 24 of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the March presidential election in Russia. The commander-in-chief added that troops were moving to ,more favorable lines.-
The withdrawal is a significant change on the more than 1,000km (625 mile) long front line since Russian troops seized the nearby town of Bakhmut in May 23. Avdiivka has been almost completely destroyed during months of fierce fighting and was a gateway to the Russian-seized city of Donetsk.
The decision to withdraw from Avdiivka marks a major change on the front line, but it is not clear what impact this will have on the overall conflict. The Ukrainian military has been under immense pressure in recent months and has suffered heavy losses due to Russian attacks.
Avdiivka has been almost completely destroyed during months of fierce fighting.
Ukraine's military says it has withdrawn its troops from Avdiivka - the key eastern town for months besieged by Russian forces.
The fall of Avdiivka marks the biggest change on the more than 1,000km-long (620-mile) front line since Russian troops seized the nearby town of Bakhmut in May 2023.
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2023.
Avdiivka - a gateway to the Russian-seized city of Donetsk - has been engulfed in fierce fighting for months, and is now almost completely destroyed. It has been a battlefield town since 2014, when Russian-backed fighters seized large swathes of the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
The decision to withdraw troops from Avdiivka was based on the operational situation around Avdiivka.
Ukrainian soldiers performed their military duty with dignity, did everything possible to destroy the best Russian military units, inflicted significant losses on the enemy in terms of manpower and equipment.
Accuracy
Russian troops have been making significant gains in Avdiivka recently, threatening to encircle it. Earlier this week some Ukrainian soldiers privately admitted the town could fall at any moment.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi acted to avoid encirclement and preserve the lives and health of service personnel. However, this statement contradicts other information provided in the article which suggests that Ukrainian troops were not able to prevent Russian forces from advancing on Avdiivka. Secondly, the author quotes Gen Oleksandr Tarnavskyi stating that Russia is sending wave after wave of conscript forces to attack Ukrainian positions and because Congress has yet to pass the supplemental bill, Ukraine has not been able to provide artillery shells for their troops. However, this information contradicts other statements made in the article which suggest that Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2023 and that Russia is much bigger military force with an abundance of artillery ammunition. Lastly, the author quotes Ukrainian officer Oleksii stating that currently they have run out of shells for their mobile artillery piece which contradicts other information provided in the article which suggests that Ukraine has been receiving weapons supplies from Western allies.
The statement by Gen Oleksandr Tarnavskyi about Russia sending wave after wave of conscript forces to attack Ukrainian positions and because Congress has yet to pass the supplemental bill, Ukraine has not been able to provide artillery shells for their troops contradicts other statements made in the article which suggest that Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2023 and that Russia is much bigger military force with an abundance of artillery ammunition.
The statement by Gen Oleksandr Tarnavskyi about Russia sending wave after wave of conscript forces to attack Ukrainian positions contradicts other information provided in the article which suggests that Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2023 and that Russia is much bigger military force with an abundance of artillery ammunition.
Fallacies
(75%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the statements of Ukrainian military officials without providing any evidence or context for their claims. Additionally, the author makes a false dilemma by suggesting that Ukraine's only option is to withdraw its troops from Avdiivka when there may have been other options available. Furthermore, the article contains inflammatory rhetoric by describing Russia as having a
The Ukrainian military has withdrawn its troops from Avdiivka.
<https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-68323366>
Bias
(85%)
The article contains a statement from the author that suggests Ukraine is withdrawing its troops from Avdiivka to avoid encirclement and preserve the lives of service personnel. This implies that there may be an imminent threat of Russian forces surrounding Ukrainian positions in Avdiivka, which could lead to significant losses for both sides. The article also mentions a huge artillery advantage held by Russia, with their shells being used to attack Ukrainian positions and even targeting the corpses of their own soldiers. This suggests that there may be an asymmetrical power dynamic at play in this conflict.
Avdiivka has been almost completely destroyed during months of fierce fighting Ukraine's military says it has withdrawn its troops from Avdiivka - the key eastern town for months besieged by Russian forces.
In a statement on Facebook early on Saturday, Gen Col Syrskyi said his decision was based on 'the operational situation around Avdiivka'.
The fall of Avdiivka marks the biggest change on the more than 1,000km-long (620-mile) front line since Russian troops seized the nearby town of Bakhmut in May 2023.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topics Avdiivka, Ukraine, Russia and Donetsk region as they are directly related to fighting in eastern Ukraine since 2014. The article also mentions Gen Col Syrskyi who is the Commander-in-Chief of Ukrainian forces.
Avdiivka: A town located near the frontline of the conflict between Russian and Ukrainian forces.
The timing of the withdrawal is critical as Russia looks for a morale boost ahead of the second anniversary on Feb. 24 of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the March presidential election in Russia.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that Ukrainian troops are withdrawing from Avdiivka to avoid encirclement and preserve their lives. However, this statement contradicts previous statements made by Russian officials who claimed that Ukraine was losing control of the city due to a lack of ammunition and resources. Secondly, the article quotes sources such as White House national security spokesman John Kirby stating that Ukrainian forces are running out of artillery ammunition which is not true according to official reports from both sides. Thirdly, the author uses sensationalist language when describing Russian attacks on Avdiivka and portrays it as a major victory for Russia despite evidence suggesting otherwise.
The article claims that Ukrainian troops are withdrawing from Avdiivka to avoid encirclement and preserve their lives. However, this statement contradicts previous statements made by Russian officials who claimed that Ukraine was losing control of the city due to a lack of ammunition and resources.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby is quoted stating that Ukrainian forces are running out of artillery ammunition which is not true according to official reports from both sides.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy when it states that Ukrainian troops are under intense pressure from a determined Russian effort. This statement is not supported by any evidence or quotes from experts in the field.
Bias
(85%)
The article is biased towards Ukraine's military chief and his decision to withdraw troops from Avdiivka. The author portrays the commander as a hero who made a difficult decision for the safety of his soldiers. This bias is evident in phrases such as 'Ukraine's military chief said early Saturday that he had made the decision to avoid encirclement and preserve the lives and health of servicemen.' Additionally, there are multiple instances where Ukraine is portrayed as being under attack by Russia, with no mention of Russian aggression. This bias is evident in phrases such as 'Russian warplanes have been dropping about 60 bombs a day' and 'White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on Thursday that Russian forces were beginning to overwhelm Ukrainian defenses.' The author also uses language that dehumanizes Russia, portraying them as an enemy who is trying to penetrate Ukraine's defense. This bias is evident in phrases such as 'Russian warplanes have been dropping about 60 bombs a day, relentlessly shelling the area and launching assaults with armor and infantry.'
Ukraine's military chief said early Saturday that he had made the decision to avoid encirclement and preserve the lives and health of servicemen.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on Thursday that Russian forces were beginning to overwhelm Ukrainian defenses.
Ukraine withdrew from a position on the southern outskirts of Avdiivka
Russian troops captured a key fortress in the battleground city Avdiivka
Infantrymen from 1st Army Corps had by early evening cleared the Cheburashka Zenit defense complex of all resistance
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it reports that Ukrainian troops had evacuated the Cheburashka-Zenit citadel but does not mention that they were forced to do so under pressure from Russian forces. This omission implies that the evacuation was voluntary when in fact it was a result of defeat and near total encirclement. Secondly, the article reports that Ukrainian forces had fallen back two kilometers and some units had broken as they ran in panic but does not mention any casualties suffered by these troops. This omission implies that there were no casualties when in fact it is reported elsewhere that soldiers manning the Zenit positions made an escape to friendly lines across open farm fields pelted with Russian shells, mortars and machine gun fire which would have resulted in significant losses. Thirdly, the article reports that Ukrainian forces had destroyed 60 bombs a day at targets around Avdiivka but does not mention any successes achieved by Russian air strikes against these targets. This omission implies that there were no successful attacks on Ukrainian positions when in fact it is reported elsewhere that two Russian armored columns of 6-8 combat vehicles each attempted to push into newly occupied positions and were repelled with heavy losses.
The article reports that Ukrainian forces had destroyed 60 bombs a day at targets around Avdiivka but does not mention any successes achieved by Russian air strikes against these targets. This omission implies that there were no successful attacks on Ukrainian positions when in fact it is reported elsewhere that two Russian armored columns of 6-8 combat vehicles each attempted to push into newly occupied positions and were repelled with heavy losses.
The article reports that Ukrainian forces had fallen back two kilometers and some units had broken as they ran in panic but does not mention any casualties suffered by these troops. This omission implies that there were no casualties when in fact it is reported elsewhere that soldiers manning the Zenit positions made an escape to friendly lines across open farm fields pelted with Russian shells, mortars and machine gun fire which would have resulted in significant losses.
The article reports that Ukrainian troops had evacuated the Cheburashka-Zenit citadel but does not mention that they were forced to do so under pressure from Russian forces. This omission implies that the evacuation was voluntary when in fact it was a result of defeat and near total encirclement.
Fallacies
(75%)
The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing the Russian troops' actions and their success in capturing a key fortress in Avdiivka. This is evident from phrases such as 'Russian infantrymen had by early evening cleared the Cheburashka Zenit defense complex of all resistance', which exaggerates the extent of Russian victory. The author also uses an appeal to authority when citing Ukrainian and Russian media reports, without providing any evidence or context for their reliability.
Russian infantrymen had by early evening cleared the Cheburashka Zenit defense complex of all resistance
The Armed Forces of Ukraine's (AFU) loss of the Cheburashka-Zenit citadel marked the greatest single day gain of ground by Kremlin forces in the Adviivka sector since October, when Moscow launched a major offensive to capture the city and eliminate a long-standing Ukrainian salient projecting some ten kilometers into Russian lines.
Bias
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Stefan Korshak has a conflict of interest on the topic of Ukraine's withdrawal from its position south of Avdiivka as Kremlin infantry advances. He is an owner and editor-in-chief at Kyiv Post, which is owned by Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoyskyi.
Stefan Korshak has a conflict of interest on the topic of Ukraine's withdrawal from its position south of Avdiivka as Kremlin infantry advances. He is an owner and editor-in-chief at Kyiv Post, which is owned by Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoyskyi.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Stefan Korshak has conflicts of interest on the topics of Russia and Ukraine. He mentions Russian state television leading news with triumphant reports of victory in Avdiivka and images of infantrymen standing inside Zenit complex holding a Russian flag.
