Russia retreats from Kyiv amid talks to end war
ERBIL, Iraq (North Press) – A series of explosions were heard on Sunday in the southern strategic port city of Odessa according to some western media outlets.
The explosions took place around 6 AM in an industrial area in the strategic city leaving flames and at least three plumes of black smoke.
Ukraine announced yesterday its full control of Kyiv region as Russian forces keep retreating from the country’s north to tighten its grip on the vast lands they had already seized in the south and east.
In the southern port city of Mariupol, which is suffering from a humanitarian catastrophe due to the overwhelming siege by the Russian forces, it’s still unknown if the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) has managed to evacuate civilians as it was planned or not.
Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Defense, Hanna Maliar, announced that Ukrainian forces had regained control of Kyiv region after Russian forces had retreated from key towns and suburbs near the capital.
These areas around the capital witnessed fierce battles since the beginning of Russia’s invasion on February 24.
As for the Russia-Ukraine peace talks, the head of Ukraine’s delegation, David Arakhamia, revealed yesterday that Moscow had “verbally” agreed on key Ukrainian proposals, raising hopes that talks to end fighting are moving forward.
Arakhamia told Ukrainian TV channels that any possible meeting between president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, would “with a high probability” take place in Turkey.
“The Russian Federation has given an official answer to all positions, which is that they accept the (Ukrainian) position, except for the issue of Crimea (annexed by Russia in 2014),” Arakhamia said.
He pointed that while there was “no official confirmation in writing,” the Russian side said so “verbally.