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Heavy shelling continues in Ukraine鈥檚 towns and cities as Russia ramps up relentless missile strikes. Thousands of people are under siege, millions more have been displaced. On paper Russia may have the military advantage over Ukraine, but in certain areas, vehicles have been abandoned after breaking down, running out of fuel or getting trapped in mud. There have been reports of out of date rations and hungry Russian soldiers looting shops for food, adding to a growing list of technical and operational blunders that have astonished observers.

Emily Ferris, a research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, explains how logistical weaknesses on Russia's frontline have hampered its progress. She says that the Russian military relies on its railways for the movement of its troops, for the maintenance of its supplies, and without those, it needs convoys of trucks. However, a shortage of these, the fact that many of these are poorly maintained, has led, it seems, to civilian trucks being commandeered - which in turn, have struggled in the muddy conditions of northern Ukraine.

Photo: A burned Russian tank is left abandoned near Kharkiv, Ukraine Credit: EPA