of avdiivka. avdiivka had become a ukrainian stronghold, really. this was a place which sits on the front line for the past decade. it separates ukrainian controlled territory and the eastern city of donetsk, which russian forces have controlled since 2014. in that time, the ukrainians built real substantial fortifications, and yet in recent months the russians have launched wave after wave of attack, suffering significant losses. at one point, hundreds of soldiers were being killed weekly, if not daily. but crucially the ukrainians suffered losses as well. and because we are in a war of attrition, where both sides are trying to exhaust each other, size is starting to count for more, and i think this is what we have seen with avdiivka. a city, once an industrial hub, now drained of life and almost completely destroyed. some ukrainian forces were captured as they tried to escape, most made it out, we are told. president zelensky, speaking to world leaders in munich made the ar