Ukraine takes over Kyiv region as Russia moves towards east

New Delhi: Ukraine on Saturday said that they claimed complete control of the region around the capital Kyiv as its security forces captured the area for the first time since Russia launched its military operation, reported Reuters.

So far, our troops have retaken more than 30 towns and villages around Kyiv since Russia pulled back from the area this week, Ukrainian officials said.

"The whole Kyiv region is liberated from the invader," Ukraine`s Deputy Defence Minister, Hanna Malyar, wrote on Facebook. There was no Russian comment on the claim, which Reuters could not immediately verify.

According to Bucha’s mayor Anatoliy Fedoruk, over 300 residents had been killed in the so-called war between Russia and Ukraine.

"We don't want them to come back. I had a dream today - that they left, and didn`t come back," said Mariya Zhelezova, 74, who spoke of coming under fire by Russian soldiers. 

However, Russia continues to deny war crime allegations and said that it didn’t target civilians.

Putin-Zelensky talks

Meanwhile, talks between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky, leaders of both the countries at war, are on the table.

The talks are likely to take place in Turkey and will be focused on the humanitarian aid in war-scarred Ukrainian regions as well as Russia's demand that Ukraine becomes a neutral state, among other issues.

Where does Russia stand today?

Russia has failed to capture a single major city and has instead laid siege to urban areas, uprooting a quarter of Ukraine`s population.

Ukraine`s armed forces reported diminished Russian air and missile strikes on Saturday but said Russian troops retreating from near Kyiv were deploying mines.

Russia`s defence ministry said its missiles had disabled military airfields in Poltava and Dnipro. It later said its forces had hit 28 Ukrainian military facilities across the country, including two weapons depots.

The Ukrainian military also reported Russian airstrikes on the cities of Severodonetsk and Rubizhne in the Luhansk region.

(With inputs from Reuters)