30 July 2019, 11:00
Dear friends!
I warmly congratulate you on the fifth anniversary of liberation of your town from the Russian occupation.
On July 30th, 2014, servicemen of the Second battalion task force of the 93rd Mechanized Brigade together with Right Sector fighters liberated Avdiivka, which had been held by Russian occupationists since April 2014.
This firing line was extremely important for the enemy, as Avdiivka is part of the Donetsk-Makiivka agglomeration, and the contiguous positions allow it to control the northern outskirts of Donetsk and Yasynuvata, the southern outskirts of Horlivka, as well as the Donetsk-Horlivka expressway. There also operates one of Europe’s largest coke plants - Avdiivka Coke Plant.
With incredible efforts, our troops conducted a brilliant liberation operation. The town finally returned under the control of the Ukrainian authority. Despite the enemy’s heavy gunfire, there were no casualties.
And now we pay honour to the brave liberators and the prideful townspeople who courageously withstood the horrors of the occupation and reaffirmed their desire to live in the free state of Ukraine.
Today, Avdiivka begins to live a peaceful life. The town, like a phoenix from the ashes, is being presently rebuilt, healing the wounds of the war.
To all of you, I sincerely wish peace, harmony and a strong confidence in our final and certain victory!