‘Prestigious’ Russian anti-Nato unit withdraws from Kharkiv

British Ministry of Defence says it will take Moscow ‘years to rebuild capacity’

A Russian unit that would have led “counterattacks” in the event of a war with Nato has withdrawn from Ukraine’s Kharkiv province, the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said.

Russia’s 1st Guards Tank Army (1 GTA), which suffered heavy casualties early in the invasion, was among the divisions to abandon positions in the northeast province following a lightning Ukrainian advance, according to the MoD.

“1 GTA had been one of the most prestigious of Russia’s armies, allocated for the defence of Moscow, and intended to lead counterattacks in the case of a war with Nato,” the MoD said in a statement.