This footage shows Russian infantrymen collecting war trophies purportedly left behind by Ukrainian soldiers during their retreat from Avdiivka, Donetsk Oblast.

Soldiers from the 55th Guards Motorised Infantry (Mountain) Brigade of the Russian military reportedly discovered numerous foreign-made war equipment inside trenches and basements in the city, modified for the needs of the Ukrainian troops on February 23.

The Russian Ministry of Defence said in a statement: 'The servicemen of the 55th Guards Motorised Infantry[Mountain] Brigade of the Central Military District showcased the path taken by assault groups to the city centre, as well as the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF)and foreign-made trophies abandoned by Ukrainian units during the withdrawal from Avdiivka.

'According to the accounts of participants in the city's liberation, some of the most fierce battles took place near the railway station, where the most combat-ready units of the UAF were concentrated

'The task of the 55th Guards Brigade was to penetrate deeply and advance towards the city centre.

'Assault groups advanced from multiple directions, with the main forces breaking through along Soborna Street. Enemy firing positions were practically in every house.

'Nearby were networks of trenches and shelters, and military vehicles were concealed among the buildings.

'Almost every basement had been turned into an ammunition depot - mortar mines, hand grenades, ammo cans with cartridges, grenades for under-barrel grenade launchers, and a significant portion of the discovered weaponry and ammunition were of foreign origin.

'Furthermore, the servicemen of the Central Military District forces noted that, during their retreat, the enemy left behind a vast amount of evidence confirming the direct involvement of mercenaries from the United States, Canada, and European Union countries within the nationalist units of the UAF.'

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