Russia to curtail military operations around Kyiv after talks with Ukraine
Russia has announced it would “drastically reduce” its military attack on the Ukrainian cities of Kyiv and Chernihiv.
This comes after talks commenced between representatives of the two nations on Tuesday that appeared to show clues of progress towards an off ramp to the conflict.
The Russian Defense Ministry has agreed to “radically, at times, reduce military activity” in the direction of Kyiv and Chernihiv, deputy defense minister Alexander Fomin said, state media RIA reported.
Also, according to the ministry’s Telegram channel, Moscow would “drastically reduce military activity” in the cities.
The statement comes after Ukrainian and Western intelligence assessments proposed in recent days that Russia’s advance on Kyiv was stalling.
Discussions between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul, Turkey on Tuesday enclosed a collection of crucial matters, including the future of the eastern Donbas region, the fate of Crimea, a broad alliance of security guarantors and a potential meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Fomin told CNN that the ongoing discussions regarding the “neutrality and non-nuclear status of Ukraine” had contributed to the decision.
More details on the steps to reduce hostilities will follow after the Russian delegation returns from Istanbul, Fomin said in comments carried by Russian state news agency TASS.
Despite the announcement, fierce fighting continued around the suburbs of Kyiv on Tuesday afternoon, particularly in the northwest and northeast of the city.
Ukraine repeated the announcement regarding the reduction in military action, saying some Russian troops were pulling back from Kyiv and Chernihiv.
