The Kremlin has shown off one of its ‘Yars’ thermonuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles, with the footage purporting to show soldiers performing exercises in Russia.

The footage shows Russian soldiers removing right camouflage netting from one of the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launcher vehicles before it can be seen manoeuvring across snow-covered countryside under heavy escort.

The images were obtained from the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Monday, 13th February, along with a statement claiming: “Units equipped with a ‘Yars’ mobile ground-based missile system performed a change of field positions in the Irkutsk missile formation.

“The change of positions of autonomous launchers is carried out both in the daytime and at night. Along with the tasks and introductory manoeuvres for the Yars mobile ground-based missile system, issues on the development of new combat patrol areas are necessarily worked out.

“The crews of the Yars mobile ground-based missile system completed the tasks of dispersing units with a change in field positions, their engineering equipment, organizing camouflage and outposts. In total, the units of the missile formation will work out several dozen introductory ones.

“In addition, a wide range of tasks to counter sabotage and reconnaissance groups are solved on combat patrol routes in the course of planned combat training activities.”

We have not been able to independently verify the claims or the footage.

Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February 2022 in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 355th day of the war.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February 2022 and 13th February 2023, Russia had lost about 138,340 personnel, 3,283 tanks, 6,492 armoured combat vehicles, 2,290 artillery units, 465 multiple launch rocket systems, 234 air defence systems, 296 warplanes, 286 helicopters, 2,007 drones, 857 cruise missiles, 18 warships, 5,150 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 217 units of special equipment.

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

The UK Ministry of Defence has said that Russian forces have likely suffered their highest rate of casualties since the first week of the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The UK MoD said in an intelligence update: “Over the past two weeks, Russia has likely suffered its highest rate of casualties since the first week of the invasion of Ukraine.

“The Ukrainian General Staff release daily statistics on Russian casualties. Although Defence Intelligence cannot verify Ukraine’s methodology, the trends the data illustrate are likely accurate.

“The mean average for the last seven days was 824 casualties per day, over four times the rate reported over June-July 2022. Ukraine also continues to suffer a high attrition rate.

“The uptick in Russian casualties is likely due to a range of factors including lack of trained personnel, coordination, and resources across the front – this is exemplified in Vuhledar and Bakhmut.”

General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said on Saturday that Kyiv’s forces are holding the frontline in Donetsk, with fierce battles raging in Vuhledar and Maryinka.

He added that Russia was carrying out approximately 50 attacks per day in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has blamed Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, for the war with Russia. It is not the first time that the former Italian Prime Minister has done so.

Berlusconi said on Sunday: “I would never have gone talking to Zelensky because we are witnessing the devastation of his country and the slaughter of its soldiers and civilians.”

He also said that if president Zelensky had stopped attacking the two separatist republics in the Donbas, the war would not have happened.

Berlusconi added: “So I judge, very, very negatively, the behaviour of this gentleman.”

Italy’s current Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, responded to the comments by reiterating Italy’s “firm support” for Ukraine.

Thomas Bach, the head of the International Olympic Committee, has rejected president Zelensky’s call to ban Russian athletes from the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Bach said, while at the World Ski Championships in France, that although he shared the “grief and human suffering” of Ukrainian athletes, governments should not decide who takes part in the games.