‘Low morale’: Russia likely shooting its own retreating soldiers, UK says

Russia-Ukraine War: UK said that Russian generals likely wanted their commanders to use weapons against deserters.

Russia is likely deploying 'barrier troops' to shoot deserters due to 'low morale', UK's ministry of defence said in its latest intelligence update on the war in Ukraine.

Russia-Ukraine War: A woman rides a bicycle past a damaged building in the town of Kupiansk. (AFP)

“Due to low morale and reluctance to fight, Russian forces have probably started deploying “barrier troops” or “blocking units””, UK's defence ministry said.

UK also said that Russian generals likely wanted their commanders to use weapons against deserters and wanted to maintain defensive positions to the death adding that the tactic used indicates low quality and morale among Russian forces.

"Recently, Russian generals likely wanted their commanders to use weapons against deserters, including possibly authorising shooting to kill such defaulters after a warning had been given. Generals also likely wanted to maintain defensive positions to the death," it said.

Earlier on Friday, Russian-installed official in southern Ukraine Kirill Stremousov said that Moscow will likely pull its troops from the west bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson, urging civilians to evacuate.

"Most likely our units, our soldiers, will leave for the left (eastern) bank," Kirill Stremousov said in an interview on Thursday with Solovyov Live.