In the past week, the long and brutal battle of Avdiivka reached a crescendo, with the Russian Army forcing the withdrawal of Ukrainian units. After the Ukrainians secured the city in 2014, Russian forces significantly expanded their attacks in late 2023, and have inexorably enveloped the city while pounding its buildings and defenders into bloody ruin.

As we reach the two-year mark of Putin’s war against his sovereign, democratic neighbour, Russia’s “capture by destruction” of Avdiivka is a metaphor for its approach to this war. As it became clear that Russia’s 10-day plan to politically subdue Kyiv and its government had failed, Russia decided that it would rather destroy Ukraine than allow it to exist as an example of self-determination and sovereign resilience for Russian citizens.

Two Russian soldiers in Avdiivka after Ukraine’s retreat from the town.Credit: AP

The revelations of the widespread Russian torture and murder of Ukrainian civilians in Bucha was horrifying. They included the discovery of standardised detention and torture centres in multiple locations formerly occupied by the Russians. They indicated that Russia had adopted institutionalised rape, torture, kidnapping and murder to subdue Ukrainian citizens in Russian-occupied territory. Ukrainian prisoners of war have been routinely starved, beaten, castrated and murdered.

The millions of Ukrainians who remained outside lands captured by Russia were not free of its strategic and political campaign to cower them into a political accommodation........

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