Russian troops have fully withdrawn from northern Ukraine into Belarus and Russia, the British Ministry of Defence has said.

The troops are likely to be redeployed to fight in the eastern region of Donbas, according to a ministry statement published on Twitter.

However, according to the British assessment, many units require reinforcement first, with “any mass redeployment from the north likely to take at least a week minimum.’’

The Russian military had continued shelling cities in the east and south of Ukraine, the statement said.

“Russian forces have advanced further south from the strategically important city of Izium which remains under their control,’’ the statement read. 

(dpa/NAN)