Live blog: Ukraine withdraws from eastern Avdiivka to 'save our people'

Saturday, February 17, 2024

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that a decision to pull back troops from the eastern frontline city Avdiivka was made to "save our soldiers' lives".

"In order to avoid being surrounded, it was decided to withdraw to other lines. This does not mean that people retreated some kilometres and Russia captured something, it did not capture anything," he told the Munich Security Conference.

"The ability to save our people is the most important task for us," he added.

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1627 GMT — Germany's Rheinmetall to produce munitions in Ukraine

German weapons producer Rheinmetall has said it has signed an accord with a Ukrainian company to build artillery munitions in Ukraine, which desperately needs them to fend off Russian attacks.

The accord was signed on the sidelines of the Munich Security conference by Ukrainian industry minister Alexander Kamyshin and Rheinmetall chief executive Armin Papperger.

For security reasons, the name of the local partner, the location of the factory and the start date of production weren't revealed.

1602 GMT — Ukraine to join EU and NATO once war ends: Italy's Foreign Minister

Ukraine will become a member of the European Union and also of NATO, but it cannot enter the military alliance while it is still at war with Russia, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has said.

"The message to Russia is very clear: Ukraine will be a member of the European Union, and then we are working to have Ukraine as a member of NATO," Tajani said at the Munich Security Conference.

However, NATO membership is impossible while Ukraine remains locked in a military conflict with Russia, he added.

1535 GMT — Zelenskyy warns of an 'artificial deficit' of weapons after withdrawal from Avdiivka

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned allies that an “artificial deficit” of arms for his country risks giving Russia breathing space, highlighting the need for artillery and long-range weapons after his military chief said he was withdrawing troops from the eastern city of Avdiivka.

Zelenskyy spoke to the Munich Security Conference, an annual gathering of security and foreign policy officials. Ukraine is back on the defensive against Russia in the nearly 2-year-old war, hindered by low ammunition supplies and a shortage of personnel.

“Ukrainians have proven that we can force Russia to retreat,” he said. “We can get our land back, and (Russian President Vladimir) Putin can lose, and this has already happened more than once on the battlefield."

1321 GMT — Will work to ensure Russia pays damages to Ukraine: US Vice President

US Vice President Kamala Harris has said that US President Joe Biden's administration stood ready to support Ukraine in its war with Russia for "as long as it takes" and would push for Russia to pay damages to Ukraine following the end of the war.

"We will continue in our efforts to secure a just and lasting peace. We will work to make sure Russia pays damages to Ukraine," she said at a joint news conference with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at the annual Munich Security Conference.

1210 GMT — Ukraine shoots down three Russian warplanes: Air force chief

Ukrainian forces have shot down two Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers and one Su-35 fighter in the skies over eastern Ukraine, the country's air force chief said.

"On the morning of February 17, 2024, in the eastern (sector), units of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed three enemy aircraft at once - two Su-34 fighter-bombers and one Su-35 fighter," Mykola Oleshchuk wrote on Telegram.

Reuters was not able to verify the claim, which if true would represent a loss to Moscow of advanced warplanes worth in excess of $100M in total.

1019 GMT — Ammunition shortage hurting Ukraine: Zelenskyy

Ukraine's fightback against Russian troops is being limited by a lack of long-range missiles and artillery shells, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, making a fresh appeal for more weapons.

"Ukrainians have proven that we can force Russia to retreat," he said, adding that "our actions are limited only by the sufficiency and length of the range of our strength... (the) Avdiivka situation proves this," said Zelenskyy.

"Keeping Ukraine in artificial deficits of weapons, particularly in deficits of artillery and long-range capabilities, allows Putin to adapt to the current intensity of the war."

0950 GMT — US must deliver what they promised to Ukraine: NATO chief

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has called for the United States to deliver "what they have promised" to Ukraine, while a $60B package of military aid was blocked in Congress.

There was a "vital and urgent need for the US to decide on a package for Ukraine because they need that support", Stoltenberg told the Munich Security Conference, adding: "So now it's for the US to deliver what they have promised".

0811 GMT — Germany calls for stronger Europe, urges more defence investment

Europe must strengthen its ability to defend itself to deter would-be aggressors regardless of who wins the upcoming US elections or how the war in Ukraine turns out, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told a security conference in Munich.

"We Europeans must take much more care of our own security, now and in the future," Scholz said on the second day of the conference, dubbed the "Davos of Defence".

Germany, Europe's largest economy, has hiked its spending on defence to 2 percent of output and will continue to hit that target of the NATO Western defence alliance, Scholz said.

Germany is also discussing with allies France and Britain the development of distance-capable precision weapons in order to ensure its deterrence strategy remained cutting edge, he said.

0747 GMT — Shelling in Donetsk kills three, Russia, Ukraine blame each other

Three people including a girl were killed and four others injured after Ukraine shelled the Russian-occupied region of Donetsk, a Moscow-installed local official has said.

Both Moscow and Kiev have accused each other of a sharp escalation in attacks targeting civilian areas over the past three months, amid intense fighting on the frontline.

Ukraine targeted the town of Panteleimonivka, less than 20 kilometres (12 miles) northeast of Donetsk city, said Dmitry Shevchenko, proxy head of the local Yasynuvata municipality.

"Three people were killed, including a girl born in 2009, and four people were injured, including a girl born in 2013, as a result of the morning shelling," he said.

0436 GMT — Zelenskyy seeks urgent military aid at Munich against Russia

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will seek to rouse allies from war fatigue and step up their financial and military backing at a critical juncture in his country's battle against Russia.

His speech at the Munich Security Conference seeking immediate aid for his soldiers will take on greater urgency following the Ukrainian withdrawal from the frontline city of Avdiivka under pressure from Russian attacks.

It also comes a day after winning pacts with France and Germany that maintain long-term defence support for Kiev.

Zelensky last attended the Munich meeting two years ago, days before Russia invaded his country.

0206 GMT — Ukrainian army says forces withdrew from Avdiivka

Ukrainian troops withdrew from the devastated eastern town of Avdiivka, Ukraine's new army chief said, paving the way for Russia's biggest advance since May 2023 when it captured the city of Bakhmut.

The withdrawal, announced as Ukraine faces acute shortages of ammunition with US military aid delayed for months in Congress, aimed to save troops from being fully surrounded by Russian forces after months of fierce fighting, Kiev said.

General Oleksandr Syrskyi, who took the helm of the Ukrainian military in a major shakeup last week, said Ukrainian forces had moved back to more secure positions outside the town that had a pre-war population of 32,000.

"I decided to withdraw our units from the town and move to defence from more favourable lines in order to avoid encirclement and preserve the lives and health of servicemen," he was quoted as saying in an armed forces statement.

For our live updates from Friday, February 16, click here.