Russian forces began their brutal campaign to seize the town in eastern Ukraine in October and finally succeeded earlier this month.
However, the victory came at a high cost — Ukrainian military officials estimate that up to 47,000 Russians were killed or injured in the battle, along with scores of tanks and fighting vehicles.
By comparison, up to 25,000 Soviet soldiers are believed to have been killed during the entire Soviet-Afghan war.
While Russia is known to downplay its losses, a high-profile military blogger recently said that Russia had lost 16,000 soldiers and 300 armored vehicles in the battle for Avdiivka. He was found dead a few days later, with reports suggesting he died by suicide
