Putin appears to admit severe Russian losses in Ukraine

With Ukraine pushing its advance in the east and south, Russian troops have been retreating under pressure on both fronts, confronted by fast moving and agile Ukrainian forces supplied with advanced western-supplied artillery systems.

As Russian troops have retreated, they have left behind smashed towns once under occupation and, in places, mass burial sites and evidence of torture chambers.

In the town of Lyman, which was retaken by Ukrainian forces on Sunday, more than 50 graves have been found, some marked with names, others with numbers, the Kyiv-based outlet Hromadske reported on Wednesday.

The territory recaptured is to the south of the city of Kryvyi Rih in the direction of Nova Kakhovka as well as west along the north bank of the Dnipro river towards Kherson.

Some Russian propagandists and officials blamed the losses on Nato.

Military experts say Russia is at its weakest point, partly because of its decision not to mobilise earlier and partly because of massive losses of troops and equipment.

According to Jack Watling, a senior analyst at the Royal United Services Institute, Russian troops around Kherson have retreated to their second line of defence to shorten their frontline.

Konrad Muzyka, an independent military analyst, said he had initially thought the war may last for years, but after the Kharkiv region, it could be much less.