Russia has claimed it will "fundamentally cut back" military activity near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and the city of Chernihiv.
The Kremlin's Deputy Defence Minister announced the decision as part of the latest round of peace talks taking place between the two countries in Istanbul. Alexander Fomin's statement appears to be the first major concession the Russians have made since the invasion of Ukraine began more than a month ago.
Mr Fomin said Russia will "drastically reduce hostilities" to "increase mutual trust" between the countries in talks aimed at ending the conflict.
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He added: "Due to the fact that negotiations over an agreement on Ukraine’s neutrality and non-nuclear status and security guarantees (for Ukraine) are moving into a practical stage, and taking into consideration the principles discussed during today’s meeting, the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation has taken the decision to drastically reduce combat operations in the Kyiv and Chernihiv areas in order to boost mutual trust and create the necessary conditions for further negotiations and for the signing of the aforementioned agreement."
The Ukrainian general staff of the military said earlier it had noted withdrawals around Kyiv and Chernihiv, though the Pentagon said it could not corroborate the reports. The talks in the Turkish capital raised flickering hopes there could be progress towards ending the war.
An adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the meeting in Istanbul was focused on securing a ceasefire and guarantees for Ukraine's security - issues that have been at the heart of previous unsuccessful negotiations.
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