Russian Forces To Be Transferred As They Withdraw From Northern Ukraine

Russian forces have fully withdrawn from northern Ukraine to Belarus and Russia, British military intelligence said on Friday.

The Ukrainian Government accused Russian soldiers of forcibly mobilising men in Mariupol to fight for Russia's army.

At least some of these Russian forces will be transferred to eastern Ukraine to fight in the Donbas, the Ministry of Defence said on Twitter.

The forces will require replenishment before being deployed further east, with any mass redeployment from the north likely to take at least a week, MoD said.

Russian shelling of cities in the east and south continues and Russian forces have advanced further south from the city of Izium, which remains under their control.