Kiev decided to withdraw troops from Avdeyevka not to "save lives" but because it can only fight for money, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on her Telegram channel.
"No, that's not the reason. But because Zelensky and his gang know how to "fight" only for big money that goes straight into their pockets, and only against civilians," she wrote in response to Volodymyr Zelensky's comments.
Everything else is irrelevant for the Kiev regime, Zakharova concluded.
Earlier in the day, Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky announced the decision to withdraw troops from Avdeyevka.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commented on the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the city of Avdeyevka on Saturday, saying that the decision was made in order to save the lives of soldiers.
The withdrawal of Ukrainian forces comes as a $61 billion aid package for Ukraine, proposed by the White House, remains deadlocked in Congress.