Servicemen of the 53rd Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine accused Ukrainian journalist Yurii Butusov of spreading fakes about a defensive operation in Avdiivka, Donetsk Region.
This is evidenced by a message posted on the brigade's Facebook page.
The brigade said that on February 18, live on his YouTube channel, Butusov "misled" and "misinformed" viewers about the unit's exit from Avdiivka.
"During the massive enemy offensive on Avdiivka, the 53rd Brigade did not lose a single position in the south <... > Information that was given to a millionth audience completely discredits the heroic actions of our brigade," said the statement.
The 53rd Brigade added that the soldiers of the Brigade until the last held positions in the area of the 9th quarter of Avdiivka. It was through it that other units located in the neighborhood exited.
The unit also provided cover for the Zenit position about two kilometers south of the city, whose fighters remained on it until the withdrawal order.
"We urge, Mr. Yurii Butusov, to refute all false theses from the air and apologize to our servicemen, who restrained the enemy with all their might and helped save the lives of soldiers of other brigades," the 53rd Brigade said.
The unit also appealed to Ukrainians to be careful and observe information hygiene, as well as to refrain from Butusov's channels, which provide inaccurate information.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on February 17, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, instructed to begin the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Avdiivka.
Recall that later the Commander of the Tavria Operational and Strategic Troops Group, Brigadier General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, said that during the withdrawal, part of the Ukrainian military was captured by the invaders.
We also reported that the russians shot a group of Ukrainian soldiers who had previously surrendered.
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