Ukraine's military says it has withdrawn its troops from Avdiivka - the key eastern town for months besieged by Russian forces, APA reports.
Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said he acted "to avoid encirclement and preserve the lives and health of service personnel".
He added that the troops were moved to "more favourable lines".
His deputy said the Russians had a huge artillery advantage, and were advancing "on the corpses of their own soldiers".
Avdiivka - a gateway to the Russian-seized city of Donetsk - has been engulfed in fierce fighting for months, and is now almost completely destroyed.
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