An “important event” was announced in China after the withdrawal of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from Avdiivka

Global Times: the liberation of Avdiivka was the biggest change during the SVO

A columnist for the Chinese newspaper Global Times, Hu Xijin, called the liberation of Avdeevka by Russian troops the most significant change on the battlefield since May last year. He also analyzed how events would develop after the Ukrainian Armed Forces left Avdiivka.

The decision of the new commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Alexander Syrsky, to withdraw Ukrainian units from Avdiivka benefits Russian President Vladimir Putin, the author believes. He explains that this happened before the presidential elections in Russia and there was a widespread belief among the Western public that Putin would win the elections.

The article draws attention to the fact that the withdrawal of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from Avdiivka was an undeniable blow to Ukraine. It is also emphasized that during the retreat the Ukrainian Armed Forces found themselves in a chaotic situation and abandoned the wounded.

In addition, the Chinese publication writes that the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ withdrawal from Avdiivka occurred at a time when the Republican Party in Congress blocked the aid package to Ukraine requested by Biden. “It is possible that the aid package will eventually be approved, but Western support has become far from reliable,” the author notes, adding that this is gradually spreading to the overall picture of the Ukrainian conflict and weakening Kyiv’s confidence in success. All this has a negative impact on Ukraine’s long-term expectations, but on the contrary, it raises Moscow’s morale.