Ukrainian forces withdraw from Stepove and Sieverne villages near Avdiivka

Ukrainian troops have withdrawn from the villages of Sieverne and Stepove near Avdiivka, Donetsk region

Dmytro Lykhoviy, a spokesman for the Tavria group of forces, said this during the telethon.

"In the Avdiivka sector, our units withdrew from small villages such as Sieverne and Stepove," he said.

Lykhoviy noted that fierce fighting for Sieverne had been going on since yesterday evening and the night of February 27.

• On February 26, Lykhoviy reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had withdrawn from the village of Lastochkyne, located 6 km from the temporarily occupied Avdiivka in the Donetsk region, and were reinforcing the defense line to prevent the Russians from advancing.
• On the same day, a spokesman for the Tavria forces said that Russia continues to try to advance toward Orlivka from three directions, but is unsuccessful. Russian aviation and artillery are turning fortifications and villages into ruins, so sometimes the Ukrainian Armed Forces are forced to withdraw.