Up to 1,000 Ukrainian Troops Believed to Be Captured in Retreat From Avdeyevka

Between 850 and 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers appear to have been captured or are unaccounted for during the Ukrainian retreat from Avdeyevka, a former Ukrainian stronghold north of the city of Donetsk, The New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing two Ukrainian soldiers.

The newspaper cited senior Western officials and soldiers fighting in Ukraine as saying that the retreat of Ukrainian troops from Avdeyevka is a devastating loss that could deal a blow to already weakening morale and may be more significant than it initially seemed. 

The report also cited officials as saying that the Ukrainian withdrawal was ill-planned and began too late, but American officials told the newspaper that the loss of Avdeyevka was not a significant strategic setback.