On July 30, 2014, Ukrainian military forces liberated Avdiivka from Russian occupation forces and the illegal armed groups under their control. The city had been under occupation since April 2014.
The operation to liberate Avdiivka took place from July 28 to July 30, 2014. Servicemen of the 93rd Separate Mechanized Brigade, in coordination with volunteers from the “Right Sector,” played a key role in the operation. Ukrainian units flanked enemy positions, cleared the city, and by the end of July 30 had fully restored control over Avdiivka. Exerting every effort, the Ukrainian military carried out a brilliant liberation operation, returning the city to Ukrainian control. It should be noted that although the enemy fired heavily, there were no casualties.
After the liberation, a torture chamber was discovered that had been set up by the occupiers for the illegal detention and torture of people.
Over the following years, Avdiivka remained one of Ukraine’s main strongholds in the Donetsk region. Despite constant shelling, the city continued to thrive and develop: infrastructure was being restored, the unique Avdiivka Coke Plant—one of the largest coke plants in Europe—was in operation, the Avdiivka–Kyiv rail link was opened in 2020, and in 2021, a renovated flagship school was opened.
After the start of a new phase of open armed aggression by the Russian Federation, Avdiivka became one of the hottest sectors of the front line. For nearly two years, Ukrainian defenders held back the numerically superior enemy forces. In February 2024, after months of continuous assaults and massive airstrikes, the Ukrainian Defense Forces carried out an organized withdrawal from the city to save the lives of their personnel.
The liberation of Avdiivka in 2014 was one of the key successes of the Anti-Terrorist Operation, and its years-long defense went down in history as an example of the resilience of the Ukrainian military and the indomitable spirit of the residents of Donetsk Oblast.