Ukraine's military says “withdrawal of Russian troops” is probably a rotation and aims to mislead

The withdrawal of units of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation from the territory of Kyiv and Chernihiv regions continues, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said.

According to them, the Russian pledge to scale back military operations in two key areas is "probably a rotation of individual units and aims to mislead," the BBC reports.

The announcement from Russia that they will "drastically reduce combat operations" around Kyiv and the northern city of Chernihiv "to boost mutual trust" followed talks in Istambul. "But it has been met with scepticism from Western leaders," BBC reports.

According to the agency, US President Joe Biden said "let's see" what happens on the ground, while the UK stated that Russia would be judged by deeds, not words.

BBC reports that the US and Ukrainian officials say Russia is continuing to reposition forces away from Kyiv, likely as part of an effort to refocus on eastern regions.