Ukraine recently made the decision to evacuate a town near the frontlines of Bakhmut, which has been described by an official as similar to “a scene from post-apocalyptic movies.”
In a Facebook post, Vitalii Barabash, a Ukrainian official in the town of Avdiivka said, “It’s a shame to admit it, but Avdiivka is increasingly becoming like a place from post-apocalyptic movies or… On the way out destroyed.”
“The moon landscape is painted by Russians with rockets on our land—day by day harder. Therefore, a difficult decision was made to evacuate from Avdíivka the rest of our heroes—utilities, who at least somehow tried to maintain the cleanliness and vitality of the city,” the post said. The translation has not been verified by Newsweek.
“So now I don’t ask, I strongly recommend leaving Avdiivka, because Russian rockets and missiles do not spare anyone and anything, whatever views you do not follow!” it added.
The comments by Barabash come amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, with intense fighting in the town of Bakhmut. According to The Moscow Timesan independent online newspaper based in Amsterdam in the Netherlands, the town of Avdiivka is located on the frontlines just south of Bakhmut.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the “special military operation” in Ukraine last year and fighting has continued in dozens of regions since. Over the past few months, much fighting has been focused in Bakhmut, where the Russians have received assistance from the mercenary Wagner Group, led by financier Yevgeny Prigozhin.
According to the Associated Press, Ukrainian General Valerii Zaluzhnyi recently said that “The Bakhmut direction is the most difficult. Thanks to the titanic efforts of the defense forces, the situation is being stabilized.”
The UK Ministry of Defense also made similar remarks about the fighting in Bakhmut in a recent intelligence update posted to Twitter.
“Russia’s assault on the Donbas town of Bakhmut has largely stalled. This is likely primarily a result of extreme attrition of the Russian force. Ukraine has also suffered heavy casualties during its defense,” the update said.
The update mentioned a shifted Russian focus on the area of Avdiivka.
“Russia has likely shifted its operational focus towards Avdiivka, south of Bakhmut, and to the Kremina-Svatove sector in the north, areas where Russia likely only aspires to stabilize its front line,” the update said. “This suggests an overall return to a more defensive operational design after inconclusive results from its attempts to conduct general offensive since January 2023.”
However, on Saturday, the AP reported that Serhii Cherevaty, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s eastern military forces, said that Bakhmut was hit by Russian artillery strikes in the past few days.
Newsweek reached out to the ministry of foreign affairs in Russia and Ukraine via email for comment.
Ukraine recently made the decision to evacuate a town near the frontlines of Bakhmut, which has been described by an official as similar to “a scene from post-apocalyptic movies.”
