What did the days before 22 February 2024 reveal?
A look back at military aid pledges and the fight for Avdiivka in the days leading up to that date.
What was the picture in Ukraine on 22 February 2024? The days immediately before it were marked by two parallel stories: a battlefield under heavy pressure and a series of allied pledges of military support.
On the front line, the fight for Avdiivka, a city in Donetsk Oblast, had reached a decisive stage. Russian forces had launched an offensive to capture it on 10 October 2023, after more than a year and a half of intermittent fighting along the city's outskirts. On 16 February 2024, Ukraine announced the withdrawal of its troops from positions in the south of Avdiivka amid heavy clashes. The announcement came a day after Russian soldiers entered the city from multiple directions.
Aid from northern Europe
As the battle for the city unfolded, European partners announced new support. On 18 February 2024, the Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen, announced that Denmark would donate all of its artillery shells to Ukraine. Two days later, on 20 February 2024, Sweden announced its largest military aid package to Ukraine to date, a further $680 million.
The sequence of events was plain. Ukrainian forces were pulling back from positions in a contested city, while two governments in northern Europe committed ammunition and funds. Denmark's decision covered all of its artillery shells, and Sweden's package exceeded every earlier Swedish contribution.
Looking back, the days before 22 February 2024 show how closely battlefield developments and decisions in allied capitals moved together, with each announcement made while the fight for Avdiivka was still under way.
