Ukrainian troops pull back again as Russia’s onslaught pushes ahead in eastern Ukraine

By ILLIA NOVIKOV
Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Ukrainian army spokesman says Kyiv’s troops have withdrawn from a village in the east of the country, as Russian forces make their advantages in manpower and ammunition tell on the battlefield at the start of the war’s third year. The official said Monday the latest setback for Kyiv’s soldiers was in the village of Lastochkyne, where they pulled back to nearby villages in an attempt to hold the line there. Lastochkyne lies to the west of Avdiivka, a suburb of Donetsk city that the Kremlin‘s forces captured on Feb. 18 after a four-month battle. The outnumbered defenders were overwhelmed by Moscow’s military might, and Ukraine chose to pull out its troops and mount a defense elsewhere.