Satellite images show 13km long Russian convoy of trucks & artillery moving toward Kharkiv

As Moscow announced to significantly scale back from Ukraine, satellite images obtained from Maxar Technology on Sunday showed a 13 kilometre long Russian convoy of armoured vehicles moving south towards Kharkiv Oblast. The Russian column consisted of  "trucks and towed artillery" along with other pieces of support equipment moving south through the Ukrainian village of Velykyi Burluk, Ukrinform reported. The developments come days after Russia appointed a new military commander Captain-General Aleksandr Dvornikov to oversee "military operations" in embattled Ukraine.

The huge Russian convoy, stretching over 13 km was spotted by the US satellite imaging company Maxar, inching towards Kharkiv on April 8. The huge column was reportedly moving towards the Russian border. Despite the retreat, Ukraine's cities have experienced constant bombardment in the past weeks. According to Ukrainian media reports, Russian troops shelled in north-eastern Kharkiv earlier last week. Russian forces have reportedly launched about 50 strikes on Kharkiv last Friday, using artillery systems, mortar, tanks, and multiple rocket launchers.

Ukraine suffers under heavy shelling by retreating Russian troops

Meanwhile, at least 1200 dead bodies were recovered in the Buzovaya region, in the outskirts of Kyiv. This was after over 400 civilians were found dead in Bucha town. 50 out of 300 corpses showed visible signs of extra-judicial killings. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his Western allies lashed out at Russia for the grisly aftermath of the pull-out, further reiterating calls for holding Moscow responsible for war crimes in Ukraine. Last week, Russian troops also seized control of Izium town as they concentrated on the "liberation" of Donbass in what Moscow calls "the second phase of the war." Ukrainian authorities on Sunday said Russia is "trying to break through" Ukrainian defenses in a bid to "establish full control over the city of Mariupol."

Meanwhile, Russian troops also struck an airport in Dnipropetrovsk, which prompted Zelenskyy to warn of "even larger operations" in eastern Ukraine. "We are preparing for their actions. We will respond," the Ukrainian President said. Meanwhile, an attack on Kramatorsk railway station last week killed 57, including children.

'Chechen troops will capture Kyiv' warns Chechnya head

Amid the brutality of the over 40-days-long running war, Chechnya head Ramzan Kadyrov, who has described himself as Russian President Vladimir Putin's "foot soldier," claimed that Chechen troops would seize the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. In a video message posted on Telegram on Monday, Kadyrov warned that "there will be an offensive, not only on Mariupol but also in the other places, cities, villages." He also outlined a tentative route of the invaders, stressing that first, they will "liberate" Luhansk and Donetsk and then move their gunpoint towards Kyiv and other strategic cities. 

Meanwhile, Luhansk governor Sergiy Gaiday on Monday informed that, given the aggravated Russian actions in the region, residents were too fed to flee their homes.

(Image: AP)