‘Prestigious’ Russian anti-Nato unit withdraws from Kharkiv

A Russian unit that would have led “counterattacks” in the event of a war with Nato has withdrawn from Ukraine’s Kharkiv province, the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said.

Russia’s 1st Guards Tank Army (1 GTA), which suffered heavy casualties early in the invasion, was among the divisions to abandon positions in the northeast province following a lightning Ukrainian advance, according to the MoD.

“1 GTA had been one of the most prestigious of Russia’s armies, allocated for the defence of Moscow, and intended to lead counterattacks in the case of a war with Nato,” the MoD said in a statement.

It added that Russia’s Western Military District (WEMD), to which 1GTA is subordinate, has been significantly weakened by almost seven months of war.

“With 1 GTA and other WEMD formations severely degraded, Russia’s conventional force designed to counter Nato is severely weakened. It will likely take years for Russia to rebuild this capability,” the MoD said.

In what western analysts believe could be a turning point in the conflict, Ukraine has succeeded in retaking swathes of territory, largely in the northeast of the country.

Speaking late on Monday, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said his troops had liberated more than 2,300 square miles of land in less than two weeks.

A Ukrainian military intelligence spokesperson said Russian soldiers were surrendering en masse because “they understand the hopelessness of their situation”.

Oleksiy Arestovich, one of Mr Zelensky’s advisers, claimed there were so many POWs that Ukraine was running out of space to house them.

Reports suggest that the Ukrainian army continues to make good progress in the Kharkiv and Kherson regions.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said Kyiv’s troops were making “impactful gains” in Kherson, while a Ukrainian deputy defence minister said her country’s soldiers were advancing through Kharkiv province.

“The aim is to liberate the Kharkiv region and beyond - all the territories occupied by the Russian Federation. Fighting is continuing (in Kharkiv region). It is still early to say full (Ukrainian) control has been established over Kharkiv region,” Hanna Malya said.