Russia troops ‘forced to return to Belarus to resupply after heavy losses’ UK claims

The British Defence ministry warned Ukraine could come under heavy shelling attacks as Russia regroups

Russian troops have been forced to return to Belarus after heavy losses in Ukraine, the UK has claimed.

In its latest intelligence update, the Ministry of Defence said Russian units returned to its neighbour and ally to resupply and reorganise following significant equipment and personnel losses in Ukraine.

“Such activity is placing further pressure on Russia’s already strained logistics and demonstrates the difficulties Russia is having reorganising its units in forward areas within Ukraine,” MoD said in its update.

The MoD said its intelligence indicates that the besieged country could come under more heavy artillery and shelling attacks as Russia takes time to regroup and reorganise its ground offensive.

“Russia will likely continue to compensate for its reduced ground manoeuvre capability through mass artillery and missile strikes,” the latest intelligence update read.

It comes as Russia vowed to scale back military operations around Kyiv and the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv in a bid to “increase mutual trust.” Moscow made the concession at the conclusion of the first day of talks in Istanbul on Tuesday to end the month-long Russian war against Ukraine.

The extent of Russia’s invasion in Ukraine (PA Graphics)

It is the first meaningful concession by the Kremlin since Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine on 24 February, although it has been met by scepticism and caution.

Deputy prime minister Dominic Raab says he does not think the west should trust what Mr Putin says while Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has said signals it will pull back troops from some areas “do not drown out the ruptures of Russian shells”.

Ukrainian servicemen stand in trenches at a position north of the capital Kyiv, (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

“The door to diplomacy will always be left ajar, but I don't think you can trust what is coming out of the mouth of Putin's war machine,” Mr Raab told Sky News.

Talks took place in an Istanbul palace more than a month into the largest attack on a European nation since World War Two that has killed or injured thousands, forced nearly 4 million to flee abroad and drawn sanctions that have pummelled Russia's economy.

“Ultimately, they need to be tested by their actions and they need to withdraw from Ukraine, not just reposition,” Mr Raab told Times Radio.

“But I think we take a very sceptical view about anything coming out of Moscow.”

Inside a destroyed warehouse for storing food (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

The MoD’s intelligence update also warned that Russia’s stated focus on an offensive in Donetsk and Luhansk is likely a tacit admission that it is struggling to sustain more than one significant axis of advance.

The Independent has a proud history of campaigning for the rights of the most vulnerable, and we first ran our Refugees Welcome campaign during the war in Syria in 2015. Now, as we renew our campaign and launch this petition in the wake of the unfolding Ukrainian crisis, we are calling on the government to go further and faster to ensure help is delivered. To find out more about our Refugees Welcome campaign, click here. To sign the petition click here. If you would like to donate then please click here for our GoFundMe page.