Ukraine's commander-in-chief of the armed forces has indicated his intention to replace certain military leaders stationed on the eastern front.

General Oleksandr Syrskyi stated that, following three days of evaluation, it had become apparent why certain brigades were able to repel Russian assaults while others were not.

This announcement comes in the wake of Ukraine's withdrawal of troops from Avdiivka, a crucial eastern town besieged by Russian forces. President Volodymyr Zelensky explained that the decision was made to preserve lives.

Avdiivka has been embroiled in intense combat for months and has served as a battleground since 2014, when Russian-backed fighters seized control of significant portions of the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

The capture of Avdiivka represents the most significant development along the over 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line since Russian forces seized the nearby town of Bakhmut in May 2023.

This week, Ukraine's military announced its withdrawal from two additional villages near Avdiivka, relinquishing more territory due to shortages of weapons and ammunition from its Western allies.

General Syrskyi emphasized his intention to replace commanders whose directives and actions jeopardized the safety of their troops.

He wrote on Telegram: "First of all, it depends on the brigade commander, his level of training, experience, ability to make adequate and balanced decisions and understanding of the full responsibility for the performance of assigned tasks and the life and health of his subordinates.

"Undoubtedly, the level of training and coordination of the brigade headquarters, through which the commander exercises his powers, plays a great role.

"Therefore, I have sent groups of specialists to individual brigades where there are problems with the preparation of the headquarters to transfer experience and provide assistance."

But, Gen Syrskyi praised some brigades and promised - after listening to front-line units - to provide reserves, ammunition, and expertise to back them up.

He insisted the situation on the front line "remains difficult, but controlled".

Separately in Russia, two buildings in St Petersburg were damaged and people were evacuated on Saturday morning after local residents reported a loud explosion that blew out windows.

St Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov said "an incident" had taken place in the eastern district of Krasnogvardeysky.

There were no casualties, but residents were evacuated from their apartments, Beglov said, without explaining the cause of the incident or its nature.

Russian media outlets reported it could have been caused by a downed Ukrainian drone, which was heading towards a nearby fuel depot, according to the Reuters news agency.

There has been no official confirmation of this from the Kremlin or state media.

Meanwhile, in Ukraine, authorities said two people were killed and a further eight were wounded after a Russian drone crashed into an apartment block in the southern port city of Odesa on Saturday.

Noted