In a statement posted to Telegram, the defence ministry said Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu "flew around the areas of deployment of troops and checked the advanced positions of Russian units in the zone of the special military operation", referring to Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine launched on 24 February 2022. 

Commenting on Shoigu's reported visit, Ukraine's military spokesman, Serhiy Cherevatyi, told Ukrainian TV channels: "I don't really believe that he is so brave" to travel to the battlefield. 

This comes as UK defence officials said low morale continues to be a "significant vulnerability across much of the Russian force". 

The UK said the new creative brigade - which follows a recent campaign urging the public to donate musical instruments to troops - is in keeping with the historic use of "military music and organised entertainment" to boost morale. 

But they questioned whether the new brigade would actually distract troops, who have been primarily concerned about "very high casualty rates, poor leadership, pay problems, a lack of equipment and ammunition, and a lack of clarity about the war's objectives".

According to the Russian outlet RBC News, the brigade will consist of troops mobilised under President Vladimir Putin's recruitment drive, as well as "professional artists who voluntarily entered military service".

The new unit will be tasked with maintaining "a high moral, political and psychological state [among] the participants of the special military operation," the outlet cited the defence ministry as saying.

BBC