Russia send musicians go frontline to boost morale

Russia say dem go deploy musicians and singers go di front lines of dia war for Ukraine to boost dia troops' morale.

Di defence ministry wey announce di formation of di "front-line creative brigade" dis week say e go also include circus performers.

Di UK Ministry of Defence bin tok about di creation of di brigade for one intelligence update on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu bin visit di frontline troops for Ukraine, Moscow tok.

For inside one statement dem post to Telegram, di defence ministry tok say oga Shoigu "fly around di areas wey dem deploy troops go to check di advanced positions of Russian units for di zone of di special military operation", e dey refer to Moscow full-scale invasion of Ukraine wey dem launch on 24 February.

Di ministry add say e "tok wit troops wey dey di front line" and di ones wey dey "command post" - but BBC no fit confam wen di visit happun or if oga Shoigu visit Ukraine.

Ukraine military spokesman Serhiy Cherevatyi wen e dey comment on oga Shoigu reported visit, tell Ukrainian TV channels say: "I no really believe e dey brave like dat" to travel go di battlefield.

Dis dey come as UK defence officials say “Russian forces moral dey very low.”

UK say di new creative brigade - wey follow one recent campaign, encourage di public to donate musical instruments give di sojas – and e dey dey in line wit historic use of "military music and organise entertainment" to boost morale.

But dem dey question weda di brigade go actually distract troops, wey dey primarily concerned about "very high casualty rates, poor leadership, pay problems, lack of equipment and ammunition, and lack of clarity about di war objectives".

According to Russian outlet RBC news, di brigade go consist of troops wey dey mobilised under President Vladimir Putin recruitment drive plus "professional artists wey voluntarily enta military service".

Di new unit go dey tasked wit maintaining "a high moral, political and psychological state [among] di participants of di special military operation," di outlet cite di defence ministry.  

Wetin dey happun now for di Russia-Ukraine invasion

Intense fighting don continue around di Ukrainian-controlled town of Bakhmut for di eastern Donbas region on Saturday, Ukraine military tok.

Di area don see heavy clashes between Ukrainian and Russian troops for months, as Russia wan fully seize di region afta string of heavy defeats for north-eastern and southern Ukraine earlier dis year.

Western intelligence officials bin don tok na Russia private military contractor, Wagner Group dey spearhead di attacks on di town.

Moscow dey hope to use Bakhmut as staging ground to launch attacks on di Ukrainian-held cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk further west.

For anoda place, dem don restore give di Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, afta Russia launch widespread strikes on Friday wey target power and water infrastructure, Mayor Vitali Klitschko tok.

Moscow launch 76 missiles on Friday, and e hit nine power supply stations and put most part of di kontri inside darkness. Ukraine say dem stop 60.

For separate development, President Putin go visit Belarus on Monday, as reports dey say e go put further pressure on Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, one close ally, to officially join for di Russia war effort and send troops to Ukraine.

Since di start of di war, Russian sojas bin don dey use Belarusian territory as launchpad - but Mr Lukashenko don so far resist all Moscow attempts to deploy im armed forces for Ukraine.

For Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelensky bin hold meeting wit top military and security officials to discuss di possible risks from Belarus, di kontri northern neighbour.