Russian President Vladimir Putin extended his congratulations to military units and their commander on Saturday for the capture of the Ukrainian city of Avdiivka, as reported by the Kremlin.
According to the Kremlin website, Putin received a detailed report on the city’s capture from Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.
“The head of state congratulated Russian soldiers on this success, an important victory,” the statement read.
Russian news agencies cited a telegram sent by Putin to Colonel-General Andrei Mordvichev, the commander of the “centre” group of forces in Ukraine.
“For outstanding military activity, I express my gratitude to all troops under your direction who took part in battles for Avdiivka,” Putin was quoted as saying in the telegram.
The telegram also listed the units involved in the operation.
Russian forces had been involved in continuous attacks on Avdiivka since mid-October.
The city had previously been briefly held by pro-Russian groups in 2014 during their seizure of large portions of eastern Ukraine but was later recaptured by Ukrainian forces.
The capture of Avdiivka is likely to serve as a morale boost for Russia, particularly as Putin seeks re-election next month, an outcome widely anticipated to be in his favour.
Moreover, the capture is viewed as a significant step in consolidating Moscow’s control over Donetsk, the regional centre situated approximately 20 km (12 miles) to the east.
Donetsk has been under the control of Russian and pro-Russian forces since 2014, and securing Avdiivka is seen as instrumental in this regard.