Russian invaders have three days of supplies left, says Ukraine military

Russian forces have only three further days of fuel, food and ammunition left to conduct the war after a breakdown in their supply chains, Ukrainian military commanders have alleged.

A Pentagon official added there were continuing morale issues among Russian troops, with food and fuel shortages, as well as frostbite due to a lack of adequate clothing.

The Ukrainian military said that a major problem for the Russian advance was a failure to lay down a fuel pipe to the front, although the claim could not be independently verified.

Russians are said to want to be able to declare Mariupol as a first strategic victory. The city is seen as key to securing a Russian corridor between the separatist Donbas region and illegally annexed Crimea.

It is also home to the largest trading port in the Azov Sea from which Ukraine exports grain, iron and steel, and heavy machinery. The US military said, however, that it has not seen any signs that chemical weapons were being prepared for imminent use.