Russian mobilised servicemen attend a deployment ceremony in Tver before heading to Ukraine to continue fighting, just as Ukrainians take the abandoned Russian weaponry left behind in Kharkiv
ADVERTISEMENTDressed for the bitter cold temperatures, Russian mobilised servicemen attended a ceremony before they headed to a 'special military operation' zone in Ukraine, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
They left Tver which is about 150 kilometres northwest of Moscow.
At the event, a young girl thanked the troops for coming forward to protect Russian civilians.
She said "Thank you for not hiding, but coming forward, protecting the civilians of Russia. Thank you for giving us, your children, our brothers, and sisters the opportunity to live and learn under a peaceful sky."
What awaits them however is a fierce war against the backdrop of the harshness of a Ukrainian winter.
The snow is beginning to thicken in the Kharkiv region, where the Ukrainian Army recaptured thousands of square kilometers in early September.
Morale among the Ukrainian troops is high said Lev a Ukrainian Armed Forces serviceman.
"The Russians get wild every now and then," said Lev. "But our artillery does not let them rest at such moments. Plus, we have our own aerial reconnaissance in the battalion, so we conduct reconnaissance during the shelling, identify the positions from which they shoot and promptly rain fire on them."
Some of the undamaged weapons and vehicles Russia used in Kharkiv were abandoned during the heavy counter-attack and now the Ukrainians say they'll use them directly at Russian troops.