Ukraine's Troops Withdraw from 2 Key Villages Near Avdiivka

On Monday, Ukraine's troops withdrew from two key villages in eastern Ukraine. The two villages near Avdiivka.

The Ukrainian Military said: “Our forces withdrew from the small villages of Sievierne and Stepove. Heavy battles for Sievierne went on yesterday in the evening and night."

This move came as NATO said there are no plans to send troops to Ukraine after French president Emmanuel Macron said he “could not rule out” sending Western forces into Ukraine.

This rejection of sending NATO forces to Ukraine was asserted by the UK, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Italy.

Last week, the Ukrainian army announced the withdrawal of its forces from one of the key towns in the country Avdiivka. The city saw several fierce and strong battles in recent months.

The withdrawal of Ukraine came after the concentration of Moscow's attacks on the area including airstrikes and ground operations, according to CNN.

Avdiivka could be one of the biggest gains for Russia on the ground after Moscow captured the city of Bakhmut last year.