This is the moment Russian soldiers raised their nation's flag on the building of the city administration in Avdiivka after Ukrainian troops retreated from the city.

Video footage from the Russian Ministry of Defence purportedly shows soldiers from one of the assault units of the 'Centre' ripping off the Ukrainian flag and placing their own instead on February 21.

The ministry said in a statement: 'The fighters note that they did not have flags with them during the execution of the combat mission because the group was engaged in clearing liberated buildings.'

The commander of the assault group with the call sign 'Artist' was quoted as saying: 'When we entered the administration building in Avdiivka, we asked the command to deliver a flag tous.

'It was handed over to us by air and dropped from a quadcopter.

'When we set up the flag, we felt that it was a historical moment, right down to the goosebumps.'

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, in what the Kremlin is still calling a 'special military operation'.