US says Russia has pulled two-thirds of troops from Kyiv area

WASHINGTON

Russia has withdrawn about two-thirds of the troops it deployed around the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, and has moved to consolidate them in neighboring Belarus, a senior Pentagon official said on Monday.

The official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity, said the US could not predict what the remaining Russian troops still in the area would do, but said those who have pulled back were likely being resupplied ahead of a potential deployment to eastern Ukraine.

"What we continue to believe is that they're going to be refit, resupplied, perhaps maybe even reinforced with additional manpower, and then sent back into Ukraine to continue fighting elsewhere," the official said.

"Our best assessment and it is only an assessment. It is that they will be applied in the eastern part of the country in the Donbass region, but that is an assessment only. We haven't seen them begin to move," he added.

The Russian war against Ukraine, which started on Feb. 24, has been met with international outrage, with the European Union, US, and UK among others implementing sweeping financial sanctions on Moscow.

At least 1,430 civilians have been killed in Ukraine and 2,097 injured, according to UN estimates, with the true figure feared to be far higher.

More than 4.1 million Ukrainians have also fled to other countries, with millions more internally displaced, according to the UN refugee agency.