{"data":{"id":"fact_6p88yiojqn","thread":{"slug":"russia-ukraine","title":"Russia–Ukraine War"},"occurredAt":"2024-02-17T12:00:00.000Z","recordedAt":"2026-09-02T03:34:21.952Z","title":"Ukrainian forces withdraw from Avdiivka on 17 February 2024","body":"On 17 February 2024, Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi announced the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the city of Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast to avoid encirclement and preserve troops' lives. The withdrawal followed months of intense Russian assaults that began in October 2023, and Russia subsequently captured the city, marking its largest territorial advance since Bakhmut in May 2023. The battle was characterized by heavy casualties and significant destruction.","location":"Avdiivka, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine","actors":["Ukrainian Armed Forces","Russian Armed Forces","Oleksandr Syrskyi"],"verdict":"VERIFIED","verdictNote":"Multiple reputable sources, including the Associated Press and Wikipedia's detailed battle article, consistently report that Ukrainian forces withdrew from Avdiivka on 17 February 2024 to avoid encirclement, with Russia subsequently capturing the city. The claim is well-supported and uncontradicted.","sources":[{"url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Avdiivka_(2023%E2%80%932024)","title":"Battle of Avdiivka (2023–2024)","publisher":"Wikipedia","retrievedAt":"2026-09-02"},{"url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avdiivka","title":"Avdiivka","publisher":"Wikipedia","retrievedAt":"2026-09-02"},{"url":"https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/associated-press/exhaustion-dwindling-reserves-and-a-commander-who-disappeared-how-ukraine-lost-avdiivka-to-russia/","title":"Exhaustion, dwindling reserves and a commander who disappeared: How Ukraine lost Avdiivka to Russia","publisher":"The Durango Herald","retrievedAt":"2026-09-02"}],"tags":["russo-ukrainian-war","avdiivka","military-withdrawal","donetsk-oblast","2024"],"views":9,"updatedAt":"2026-09-04T23:10:04.996Z","media":[],"relatedFactIds":[],"url":"/fact/fact_6p88yiojqn"}}