MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday hailed his army’s capture of the eastern Ukrainian town of Avdiivka as an “important victory,” following a hasty withdrawal by Kyiv’s forces.
The capture of the town marks the most significant territorial gain for Russia’s forces since the seizure of Bakhmut last May.
“The President congratulated our military and fighters on such an important victory, on such a success,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state news agencies.
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu informed Putin about the seizure of the town in a meeting at the Kremlin, his ministry said in a statement.
Avdiivka was a “powerful defensive hub” for Ukraine’s armed forces and its capture would “move the front line away from Donetsk (city),” reducing Ukraine’s ability to shell the Russian stronghold, the defense ministry said.
Ukraine’s Donetsk region is one of four Russia claims to have annexed.
Moscow launched an intense assault to capture Avdiivka, which lies around 10 kilometers (6 miles) north of Donetsk city, last October, throwing massive resources of equipment and manpower at the town.
The battle for Avdiivka became one of the bloodiest episodes in the two-year conflict.
Kyiv had earlier announced its withdrawal from the town, which it said was taken to reduce military casualties at a time of stretched resources.
“At the moment, measures are being taken to finally clear the town of militants and to block the Ukrainian units that have left the town and are holed up in the Avdiivka coke plant” to the north, Russia’s defense ministry said.
Moscow is back on the offensive in eastern Ukraine, with Kyiv suffering from a shortage of ammunition and manpower amid hold-ups to much-needed Western aid and a difficult drive to recruit more soldiers.
The front lines have barely moved in more than a year — with the exception of Russia’s capture of Bakhmut last May.
But concern is growing in Kyiv and the West about Ukraine’s ability to hold out against Russian forces for much longer without unlocking a $60-billion military aid package from the United States.
Putin hails capture of Avdiivka as ‘important victory’
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Putin hails capture of Avdiivka as ‘important victory’
- The capture of the town marks the most significant territorial gain for Russia’s forces since the seizure of Bakhmut last May
- Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu informed Putin about the seizure of the town in a meeting at the Kremlin
Air India 777 aircraft turns back after drop in engine oil pressure, regulator says
- The aircraft, which was headed to Mumbai, landed safely back in Delhi and the incident will be investigated
- Air India has been under intense scrutiny this year after the June 12 crash of a Boeing Dreamliner killed 260 people
BENGALURU: An Air India Boeing 777 aircraft had to turn back after a drop in oil pressure forced the pilots to turn off one of the jet’s engines, India’s aviation regulator said on Monday.
The aircraft, which was headed to India’s financial capital of Mumbai, landed safely back in Delhi and the incident will be investigated, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement. Modern aircraft are designed to safely fly and land on a single engine, if required. Air India has been under intense scrutiny this year after the June 12 crash of a Boeing Dreamliner killed 260 people. The DGCA has flagged multiple safety lapses at the airline, which was previously owned by the government till 2022. An Air India investigation into why one of its planes conducted commercial flights without an airworthiness permit found “systemic failures,” with the airline admitting it needed to do better on compliance, Reuters reported earlier this month.
On Monday, pilots observed a low engine oil pressure on the B777-300ER aircraft’s right-hand engine during flaps retraction after take-off. The pressure shortly thereafter dropped to zero and the crew shut down the engine and turned back as per procedure, the DGCA said.
“Air India sincerely regrets inconvenience caused due to this unforeseen situation. The aircraft is undergoing the necessary checks,” an Air India spokesperson said in a statement. The aircraft is 15 years old and has flown to locations such as Vienna, Vancouver and Chicago, according to Flightradar24. Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the incident.
