Retreating Russians troops ‘creating catastrophic situation by leaving mines’

Ukrainian fighters have reclaimed several areas near the capital after forcing the Russians out or moving in after them, officials said.

Ukrainian soldiers approach a trench that had been used by Russian soldiers as they retake an area on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, April 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

Russian forces pulling back from Ukraine’s capital region are creating a “catastrophic” situation for civilians by leaving mines around homes, abandoned equipment and “even the bodies of those killed”, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned.

Ukraine and its western allies reported mounting evidence of Russia withdrawing its forces from around Kyiv and building up troop strength in eastern Ukraine.