Ukrainian soldiers told of their journey to escape Avdiivka and their harsh orders

(Dan Tri) – When Russian forces approached an area southeast of Avdiivka in Ukraine, infantryman Oleh clearly heard the grim order: `There will be no evacuation. Leave the wounded behind.`

Ukrainian soldiers evacuate injured comrades (Illustration: NYT).

Oleh was one of the last to flee the nearly besieged Zenit, a key position that has held off Russian advances south of Avdiivka since 2014.

In the bunker at Zenit, the old air defense base, Oleh and his older comrade, Vasyl, said goodbye to the wounded.

It was 6 a.m. on February 15, and Moscow forces were getting closer.

It was impossible to carry the wounded during the 2.5km retreat into the center of Avdiivka, a small industrial city on the verge of falling.

Putting aside his emotions and focusing on survival, Oleh, a young man from Kharkov, began to retreat into the city, which was almost surrounded by Russia.

“We were just left there (by our leadership),” Oleh told Kyiv Independent a few days later, in a town in the Donetsk region, further from the front lines.

`We defended (Zenit stronghold) to the end. On February 17, new Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky announced Ukraine’s withdrawal from Avdiivka, a city once home to about 35,000 people located just outside

Kiev forces have been defending Avdiivka, a strategic center where a giant Soviet-era coal and chemical plant is located, since 2014. Russia stepped up its attack on Avdiivka twice in 2023, the first time.

Although the enemy was outnumbered and outgunned, Kiev forces resolutely held Avdiivka in the face of what many soldiers described as the largest frontal attack ever with large convoys of armored vehicles

Russia used familiar tactics that they applied in the Battle of Bakhmut, another city in Donetsk that fell to Moscow in May 2023, Moscow forces rushed to attack on the outskirts of Avdiivka despite heavy losses.

The withdrawal from Avdiivka was late and disorganized, forcing many soldiers to escape on foot under intense artillery fire, four members of the 110th Independent Mechanized Brigade – a large unit responsible for the defense

Although admitting that the Avdiivka defense system is effective, preventing Russia from sending forces to attack elsewhere, Western experts also criticized Ukraine for withdrawing too late.

Ukraine is said to have decided to withdraw from Avdiivka too late, causing great losses (Photo: Getty).

Impossible escape

Oleh said the first two months of 2024 were extremely difficult for the soldiers defending the Zenit base.

By January, Oleh said, the remaining soldiers began conserving ammunition as well as food and water.

Positions across Zenit have been heavily affected by Russia’s continued use of guided bombs, cluster bombs and other weapons.

By February, Russian forces increased their attacks around Avdiivka to complete the capture.

At around 9 p.m. on February 13, the remaining soldiers in Zenit received orders to `flee towards Avdiivka on their own,` according to Oleh.

Some of them began to flee in small groups, while the rest, including Oleh, remained behind for defense.

`We supported another unit to organize a defense, while they were trying to retreat, but they were bombarded by artillery, it was unbelievable,` Oleh said.

Oleh said his teammates evacuated six wounded people not far from Zenit to a bunker.

Those hopes were quickly dashed by the realities of war.

Early on February 15, Oleh heard his commander tell his comrades at the bunker that no vehicles or equipment could get there.

`They (the six injured) waited until the 15th thinking they would be taken away (by evacuation). On the 15th, they were told that there would be no evacuation,` Oleh said.

Anton Kotsukon, a spokesman for the 110th brigade, said at the time that Russian forces had breached the key road leading to Avdiivka, hindering evacuation efforts and attacking anything passing by in vehicles.

According to Kotsukon, reaching Avdiivka by main road was impossible even before withdrawing from the city.

War map of Ukraine at Avdiivka as of February 18 (Photo: Kyiv Independent).

Win for life

As soon as he stepped out of the bunker at Zenit, Oleh said he saw the first body of a comrade who died while fleeing.

Unable to help the wounded or collect the bodies of the dead, Oleh walked through an area heavily attacked by Russian artillery, tanks, missiles, bombs and UAVs.

`We don’t collect (the bodies) because we also want to live,` Oleh said.

In the event of shelling, Oleh rushed into the holes left after the previous Russian shelling.

Carefully walking towards Avdiivka, Oleh said that his commander stopped responding at this point and they were in a `do or die` situation.

Five hours later, Oleh and his surviving comrades finally reached Avdiivka, from where they also fled on foot near the siege towards the villages of Sievierne and Tonenke to the west.

Oleh and Vasyl said that no more than 40% of their company made it out alive, although they refused to reveal the original number of troops before the encirclement.

Kotsukon did not provide the number of troops able to escape Zenit, but said losses were `minimal` even though a large-scale withdrawal was a `very difficult` operation.

The spokesman for the Tavriia Operational Strategy Group in charge of the southeastern front line, Dmytro Lykhovii, said that `a certain number` of Ukrainian soldiers were captured when withdrawing from Avdiivka, but this number was not `

Despite miraculously escaping Avdiivka, shocking news is still waiting for survivors from Zenit base.

A few days later, the 110th Independent Mechanized Brigade confirmed in a statement that `several` seriously injured and deceased soldiers could not be evacuated from Zenit.

The 110th Brigade said that because Zenit was `completely surrounded`, they contacted a government agency in charge of prisoners of war to reach an agreement with Russia to evacuate the wounded in exchange for

The unit said the three members killed in the video have been identified by their relatives.

Recalling his last conversation with the six soldiers left behind in Zenit, Oleh said that they wanted him alive to tell the story of what happened to them.

Reflecting on how abandoned they were, Oleh and Vasyl said they felt as if their lives did not matter to the commander.

Oleh said: `We were told (on the radio), get yourself there (to the evacuation point). There was no evacuation (in Avdiivka). There, you are alone, or