Ukrainian forces are put through their paces: Embattled country’s military conducts intense drills near border with Belarus as they prepare for Spring pushback against invaders

• Training focused on offensive actions and improving soldiers’ mental fortitude
• Exercises took place near border with Belarus as Kyiv holds Russia back in east 

Ukrainian armed forces conducted intense drills near the Belarusian border on Saturday, as they prepare for a Spring pushback against Vladimir Putin’s army.

The exercises focused on training servicemen for offensive actions and improving their mental fortitude by imitating real combat conditions.

The servicemen trained to clear the buildings, overcome obstacles and storm enemy positions.

In a video of their training exercises, Head of support forces group, Maksym Volivetskyi said: ‘We are doing a full imitation of combat action. 

‘During combat there are explosions, shots fired, wounds or torn bodies as well, a lot of blood, a lot of smoke. We must make it look like combat as best we can.’ 

For Viktor Khamet, a 27 year old servicemen who fought in 2014, the training conditions remind him of real combat.

‘Explosions, shots fired everywhere – you don’t understand what is going on. But you have to pull yourself together and complete the mission.’

The action is all-too-familiar for some seasoned soldiers, with 27-year-old Viktor Khamet reflecting on his time fighting the Russians as a teenager.

‘I fought in 2014. Yes, with the explosions it looks like real fighting conditions. 

‘Explosions, shots fired everywhere – you don’t understand what is going on. But you have to pull yourself together and complete the mission.’

Meanwhile, Chief Sergeant of Ukraine’s Joint forces, Viktor Lukyanok, explains in the clip: ‘The most important goal is to work on psychological firmness of the servicemen ahead of any challenges they may face in combat.’

‘We are focusing and training our units for attack, for offensive actions.’

Ukrainian soldiers from various brigades take part in a military drill on psychological combat training at an undisclosed location close to the border with Belarus

Soldiers were seen taking cover as they practiced war games ahead of a planned spring advance 

Heavy armored vehicles featured in the battle scenes, which were played out by training servicement

In the footage, soldiers are seen supporting each other as they practice going into trenches and defending their dugouts.

More shots show them taking cover and evacuating the injured in the realistic war simulation.

The training videos have emerged as Russia continues to suffer heavy losses at the hands of Kviv’s forces.

There were ultra-realistic conditions at the training sites, which journalists were invited to see first-hand

In the footage, soldiers are seen supporting each other as they practice going into trenches and defending their dugouts

Chief Sergeant of Ukraine’s Joint forces, Viktor Lukyanok, says that the most important goal is to work on psychological firmness of the servicemen

The Ukrainian army claimed that 1,090 soldiers were killed in 24 hours yesterday – 60 more than the previous record which they said was reached on February 7. 

Ukraine and Russia both claimed yesterday that hundreds of enemy troops were killed over the previous 24 hours in the fight for Bakhmut. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed not to retreat from Bakhmut, and his forces are planning a major Spring advance to reclaim more annexed territory. 

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