Ukrainian troops pull out of key eastern town of Avdiivka, the 'gateway' to Donetsk

• Ukrainian troops have withdrawn from the embattled eastern town of Avdiivka.
• Ukraine's commander in chief said it was to "avoid encirclement and preserve the lives servicemen."
• The town has been the scene of fierce fighting for months.

Ukrainian troops have withdrawn from the war-torn eastern town of Avdiivka.

In a post on Facebook, Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander in chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, wrote that he had decided to pull out of the region "to avoid encirclement and preserve the lives and health of servicemen."