Retreating Russian troops booby trap homes and corpses, Zelenskyy warns

2 April 2022, 14:00 | Updated: 2 April 2022, 14:02

Ukraine's president said Russian troops were laying mines and booby-traps as they retreated
Ukraine's president said Russian troops were laying mines and booby-traps as they retreated. Picture: Alamy

By Asher McShane

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned his people that retreating Russian forces have been leaving mines across "the whole territory", even setting booby traps around corpses and homes.

He issued the warning as the humanitarian crisis in the encircled city of Mariupol deepened and the Kremlin accused the Ukrainians of launching a helicopter attack on a fuel depot on Russian soil.

Russian forces have also been accused of murdering unarmed civilians during their withdrawal to the east of the country.

Ukraine denied responsibility for the explosion on Russian soil, but if Moscow's claim is confirmed, it would be the war's first known attack in which Ukrainian aircraft penetrated Russian airspace.

Russia has continued the withdrawal of its ground forces from areas around Kyiv after saying earlier this week it would reduce military activity near the Ukrainian capital and the northern city of Chernihiv.

"They are mining the whole territory. They are mining homes, mining equipment, even the bodies of people who were killed," Mr Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address to the nation.

Read more: British-made Starstreak missile 'shoots down Russian helicopter' in Ukraine

Read more: Russian troops accused of slaughtering civilians as they withdraw from Bucha near Kyiv

Putin may 'internationalise' the Ukraine crisis

"There are a lot of trip wires, a lot of other dangers."

He urged residents to wait to resume their normal lives until they are assured that the mines have been cleared and the danger of shelling has passed.

While the Russians kept up their bombardment around Kyiv and Chernihiv, Ukrainian troops exploited the pullback on the ground by mounting counterattacks and retaking a number of towns and villages.

Still, Ukraine and its allies warned that the Kremlin is not de-escalating to promote trust at the bargaining table, as it claimed, but instead resupplying and shifting its troops to the country's east.

Those movements appear to be preparation for an intensified assault on the mostly Russian-speaking Donbas region in the country's east, which includes Mariupol.

Mr Zelensky warned of difficult battles ahead as the Russians redeploy troops. "We are preparing for an even more active defence," he said.

He did not say anything about the latest round of talks, which took place on Friday by video. At a round of talks earlier in the week, Ukraine said it would be willing to abandon a bid to join Nato and declare itself neutral - Moscow's chief demand - in return for security guarantees from several other countries.

The invasion has left thousands dead and driven more than four million refugees from Ukraine.

Elsewhere, at least three Russian ballistic missiles were fired late on Friday from the Crimean Peninsula at the Odesa region on the Black Sea, regional leader Maksim Marchenko said. The Ukrainian military said the Iskander missiles were intended for critical infrastructure but did not hit their targets because of Ukraine's air-defence forces. It was unclear where they hit.

Mr Marchenko said there were casualties, but he did not elaborate. Odesa is Ukraine's largest port and the headquarters of its navy.

As for the fuel depot explosion, Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said two Ukrainian helicopter gunships flew in extremely low and attacked the civilian oil storage facility on the outskirts of the city of Belgorod, about 16 miles from the Ukraine border.

The regional governor said two workers at the depot were wounded, but the Rosneft state oil company denied anyone was hurt.

Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine's national security council, said on Ukrainian television: "For some reason they say that we did it, but in fact this does not correspond with reality."

Amid the Russian pullback on the ground and its continued bombardment, Ukraine's military said it had retaken 29 settlements in the Kyiv and Chernihiv regions.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

Armed robbers attempted to break into the star's Sunderland home.

Masked machete-wielding robbers break into Charlotte Crosby's home while she is upstairs with two-year-old daughter

Police have released new CCTV of Harshita Brella and her husband

Chilling CCTV released of Harshita Brella and prime murder suspect husband on night she was killed

First photos of Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special as James Corden and Ruth Jones mark triumphant finale

First photos of Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special as James Corden and Ruth Jones mark show's triumphant finale

King Charles performs a Hongi, a traditional Maori greeting, with Mere Takoko

King Charles shares traditional Maori nose rub greeting with activist as he launches environmental charity

Putin issued a chilling threat to the West as he confirmed Russia launched a ballistic missile against Ukraine

Putin issues chilling warning to UK and US as he confirms Russia hit Ukraine with new 'experimental' ballistic missile

Telegraph writer Allison Pearson.

Police drop investigation into journalist Allison Pearson over tweet - as review to be launched over handling of case

Exclusive
Angela Rayner has paid tribute to John Prescott

Angela Rayner says John Prescott 'used to call her after PMQs to remind her to stay true to who she is'

Four men have been arrested accused of attempting to rob a mobile phone store

Undercover police arrest four men after EE shop raided by masked gang

Matt Gaetz withdraws as Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general amid sexual misconduct allegations

Matt Gaetz withdraws as Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general amid sexual misconduct allegations

Donald Trump Watches SpaceX Launch Its Sixth Test Flight Of Starship Spacecraft

Elon Musk pledges to fire civil servants who work from home

Seven-month-old baby mauled to death by family dog after leaning on animal while crawling, inquest hears

Seven-month-old baby mauled to death by family dog sustained 'catastrophic' injuries after leaning on pet, inquest hears

Starmer has backed the International Criminal Court over its arrest warrant for Netanyahu

Starmer backs International Criminal Court after it issues arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu

Five men charged over smuggling of migrants from UK to France in lorries

Five men charged over smuggling of migrants from UK to France in lorries following dawn raids

Rhiannon Skye Whyte was stabbed to death in Walsall

South Sudanese teen accused of murdering asylum seeker hotel worker with screwdriver 'refuses to appear in court'

Will Guyatt questions who is responsible for the safety of children online

Are Zuckerberg and Musk responsible for looking after my kids online?

Simone White has died following a poisoning with alcoholic drinks at a bar in Loas

British lawyer, 28, dies following suspected mass methanol poisoning at bar in Laos