These images purport to show a Russian mobile ‘Yars’ nuclear missile system being readied for combat duty in western Russia.

The footage begins by showing what appears to be a mobile ‘Yars’ nuclear missile system being transported under heavy escort as what appears to be a brass band plays in the background.

Russian flags can be seen being flown from the vehicles in the snow-covered landscape, with the large missile launcher then seen entering a warehouse.

The images were obtained from the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Friday, 16th December, along with a statement claiming: “In the Bologovsky formation of the Strategic Missile Forces, a missile regiment of mobile Yars took up combat duty.

“On the eve of the Day of the Strategic Missile Forces, a solemn ceremony was held in the Bologovsky missile formation of the Strategic Missile Forces (Tver Region) to take up combat duty of the missile regiment, re-equipped with the Yars mobile ground-based missile system.

“This event coincided with the events dedicated to the professional holiday of strategic missilemen.

“Autonomous launchers solemnly marched to the position area, where the ceremony of taking up combat duty took place. The military band played the anthem of the Russian Federation, which marked the end of the military ritual of shift shifts.

“Preliminarily, preparatory work was carried out in the missile formation – the appropriate infrastructure was created, the personnel underwent retraining for combat duty at the Yars PGRK.

“Next year, by putting on combat duty the next missile regiment of the Bologovsky formation, the Strategic Missile Forces as a whole will complete the re-equipment of the mobile grouping with the Yars mobile ground missile system.

“The Yars PGRK, which is being put into combat, is replacing the Topol mobile missile system.

“The Day of the Rocket Forces is celebrated by strategic missilemen on December 17th.”

Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 296th day of the war.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February and 16th December, Russia had lost about 97,270 personnel, 2,980 tanks, 5,952 armoured combat vehicles, 1,946 artillery units, 410 multiple launch rocket systems, 211 air defence systems, 281 warplanes, 264 helicopters, 1,648 drones, 592 cruise missiles, 16 warships, 4,563 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 172 units of special equipment.

Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.

Ukraine’s Defence Minister, Oleksii Reznikov, has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing for a large-scale offensive in the New Year, with about half of the 300,000 recently mobilised Russian troops being prepared more thoroughly.

The other half have reportedly been used to reinforce Moscow’s existing positions in Ukraine.

The head of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, General Valeriy Zaluzhny, believes that Russia will attempt to capture Kyiv again, maybe in February or March, after having failed to take the Ukrainian capital earlier this year.

Russian shelling on Thursday killed two people in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, including a Red Cross worker. The city has now also been completely cut off from the country’s power grid.

Sergei Karakayev, the Commander of Russia’s strategic rocket forces, has said that his country plans to double the number of test launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles from four to eight next year.

Anton Gerashchenko, a senior adviser to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has said that a Russian airbase in Kursk was struck again by an “unknown drone” on Wednesday night.

The United States has said that it is planning to expand training in Germany of Ukrainian soldiers, increasing the number of troops it trains there to 500 per month.

The United States and its allies have so far trained over 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers since April.

President Zelenskiy has said that the next six months of the war with Russia will prove “decisive”.

He said: “The next six months will be decisive in many respects in the confrontation Russia started with their aggression.”

President Putin has said that Moscow plans to try to overcome the impact of Western sanctions by selling gas to its neighbours to the east and that Russia would seek to deepen its economic ties with Latin American, African and Asian countries.