Avdiivka Video Shows Russian Looter Rejoice Over War Spoils

A video filmed in the eastern town of Avdiivka in Ukraine's Donetsk region appears to show a Russian looter rejoicing over war spoils.

The footage was shared on Sunday to X, formerly Twitter, by Anton Gerashchenko, a former adviser to Ukraine's minister of internal affairs, weeks after Ukrainian forces withdrew from the embattled fortress town of Avdiivka. It fell to Russian forces on February 17, marking Moscow's biggest victory.

Dmytro Lykhovii, spokesperson for Ukraine's Tavria operational strategic group, said during a Ukrainian television broadcast last month that Kyiv's forces had withdrawn from the town after a monthslong battle for the region, which is considered the gateway to the partially Russian occupied Donetsk region.

"A Russian looter rejoices at the capture of the ruins of Avdiivka, because now he can loot the property left in the apartments," Gerashchenko wrote on Sunday. "First, they killed or kicked out the owners and now they loot. Do they want to go further? Do they want to loot Europe? It's a rhetorical question."

Newsweek couldn't independently verify the authenticity of the video and has contacted Russia's defense ministry for comment by email.

In the clip, the Russian man addresses the video to an individual named "Larisa" as he walks around the ruins of Avdiivka.

"Larisa, I love you! I'm in Avdiivka! Here, look, these are the sights of Avdiivka. If you don't believe me, look, I'm in Avdiivka," he said.

"Look how destroyed everything is here. Let's come close," he said, pointing to destroyed buildings.

"I'm walking, Larisa, I'm here in Avdiivka. Everyone didn't believe I came here. I'm a volunteer," he continued. "Larisa, I love you! Larisa, there is everything in these houses. There are TVs and everything. We just need a vehicle to get it all out of here."

Avdiivka, which had a pre-war population of 32,000, had been a key focus for Moscow since October 2023, and the battle for the region earned the label of "meat grinder." The term describes the prolonged battles that occurred and racked up high casualty counts and absorbed significant resources.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the decision to withdraw from Avdiivka was made to save the lives of his soldiers.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) a U.S.-based think tank, wrote in its latest analysis of the conflict in Ukraine, which began in February 2022, that Russian forces recently marginally advanced northwest and west of Avdiivka amid continued positional fighting in the area on Sunday.

"Geolocated footage published on March 16 indicates that Russian forces recently advanced northwest of Tonenke (west of Avdiivka), and a Russian milblogger claimed that Russian forces advanced along Tsentralna Street in the settlement," the think tank wrote.

Geolocated footage published on Saturday also indicates that Russian forces recently advanced to the central part of Orlivka, northwest of Avdiivka. "Positional battles continued northeast of Avdiivka near Oleksandropil; northwest of Avdiivka near Novobakhmutivka, Berdychi, and Orlivka; west of Avdiivka near Tonenke; and southwest of Avdiivka near Pervomaiske and Nevelske," the ISW added.

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