The Russian president Vladimir Putin congratulated military units and their commander this evening for capturing the town of Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine, Russian news agencies said.

“For the excellent military performance, I express my gratitude to all the soldiers who under your leadership took part in the battles for Avdiivka,” Putin said in his cable to the commander of Russian military units in Ukraine.

The telegram listed units participating in the military operation.

Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that Russian forces had taken “full control” of Avdiyivka after the withdrawal of Ukrainian army forces from this industrial city, the focus of heavy fighting in recent months.

The Ukrainian military announced earlier this morning that it had been forced out of Avdiyivka in the early hours of the morning, handing Russia its biggest — largely symbolic — battlefield victory since its failed counteroffensive last summer.