Officer of 59th Brigade comments on Ukrainian Armed Forces withdrawal from Novohrodivka

The withdrawal of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from Novohrodivka in the Pokrovsk sector of the Donetsk region is due to the town’s unfavorable geographical location. For this reason, the Ukrainian military command decided to withdraw its troops from there. This was stated by Serhiy Tsehotsky, an officer of the 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade.

“Well, we would have delayed the offensive for 2-3 days and buried our comrades in a certain number. I believe that geographically, Novohrodivka is not in a very favorable position. It wasn’t quite set up as a fortress», — the soldier told Radio Liberty.

According to him, this is why it was beneficial for the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to withdraw troops from the settlement.

Tsehotsky did not directly answer whether fortifications had been erected in the town. He emphasized that the withdrawal from Novohrodivka does not mean the end of the battle.

The Pokrovsk direction is currently the most intense area on the frontline. Evacuation is underway in Pokrovsk, and large chain stores no longer operate in the town. The few food stores still open in Pokrovsk operate only between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

The battle for Novohrodivka began around August 20. A few days later, the Ukrainian Armed Forces withdrew from Novohrodivka. The Russian troops captured virtually the entire town, which had previously been home to 14,000 people.

As a reminder, russian forces have seized Ukrainian defense lines between the previously occupied Avdiivka and Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region. At the same time, Pokrovsk is being evacuated as the Russians advance.