Ukrainian residents scavenge for abandoned rations amid scenes of devastation and desperation

• ITV News Dan Rivers reports on the latest in Ukraine as civilians scavenge for discarded ration packs amid smouldering wreckage of Russian armoured vehicles

Residents of Dmytrivka, near Kyiv, have ventured to the outskirts of their village for the first to discover a swathe of devastation and desperation left behind by the fighting.

The Kremlin recently announced they would be pulling back from Ukraine's capital and refocusing on the fight in the east of the country.

Despite this, there has been constant shelling on the capital and warnings that the Russians could be just falling back to regroup and plan a new offensive.

But on Friday residents of Kyiv managed to access the ring road around the capital and some of the outlying villages that had been occupied by Russians for the first time in weeks.

ITV News Correspondent Dan Rivers reports on whether Russia is pulling back forces around Kyiv, or if it's a tactical retreat that will be followed by a renewed offensive

On the outskirts of Kyiv ITV News filmed dogs and locals competing for abandoned rations left behind among the smouldering remains of Russian tanks, dead soldiers, unexploded armaments and the not too distant sound of shelling.

Ukrainian troops have exploited the pullback on the ground by mounting counterattacks and retaking a number of towns and villages.

The fighting in Ukraine continued across the country on Friday after it appeared to spill into Russia on Thursday.

Yesterday Russia claimed Ukraine had launched an assault into Russian territory by striking a fuel depot on the other side of the border, something the Kremlin described as "not something that can be perceived as creating comfortable conditions for the continuation of the talks."

In the south, the International Committee of the Red Cross said on Thursday they had reached an agreement to evacuate some citizens from Maruipol but had to abandon its attempt to enter on Friday saying it was "impossible to proceed."

They said a "team that had been on its way to Mariupol on Friday to facilitate the safe passage of civilians had to return to Zaporizhzhia after arrangements and conditions made it impossible to proceed."

They added: "For the operation to succeed, it is critical that the parties respect the agreements and provide the necessary conditions and security guarantees.

"If and when the safe passage operation does happen, the ICRC’s role as a neutral intermediary would be to accompany the convoy out from Mariupol to another city in Ukraine."

Mariupol city authorities said the Russians were blocking access to and from Mariupol and it was too dangerous for people lucky enough to have working vehicles and fuel to leave on their own.

“We do not see a real desire on the part of the Russians and their satellites to provide an opportunity for Mariupol residents to evacuate to territory controlled by Ukraine,” Petro Andryushchenko, an adviser to the mayor of Mariupol, wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

He said Russian forces "are categorically not allowing any humanitarian cargo, even in small amounts, into the city."

On Thursday, Russian forces blocked a 45-bus convoy attempting to evacuate people from Mariupol, and only around 600 people were able to leave in private cars, the Ukrainian government said.

Russian forces also seized 14 tons of food and medical supplies bound for Mariupol, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said.Mariupol has seen some of the worst fighting of the war and has been entirely cut off from Ukraine by the encircling Russian forces.

It is running low on food, water and medical supplies and is being subjected to constant bombardment.

Regular attempts to evacuate the city have resulted in failure as Ukraine has accused Russia of firing on refugee convoys.

Russia has also been accused of committing war crimes in the city.

Around 100,000 people are believed to be still in the city, down from a prewar population of 430,000.“We are running out of adjectives to describe the horrors that residents in Mariupol have suffered,” Red Cross spokesperson Ewan Watson said earlier on Friday.

“The situation is horrendous and deteriorating, and it’s now a humanitarian imperative that people be allowed to leave and aid supplies be allowed in.”