Russia is already starting to withdraw some of its forces from the Kyiv region after announcing it would 'radically reduce' military activity at peace talks in Turkey today.

US and UK intelligence has identified movements in Kremlin Battalion Tactical Groups around the capital after deputy defence minister Alexander Fomin said their troops would start to scale back operations in Kyiv and Chernihiv.

Downing Street said: 'There has been some reduction in Russian bombardment around Kyiv, largely because Ukrainian forces have been successfully pushing back the Russian offensives in the northwest of the city.

'But fighting continues. There's heavy bombardment in Mariupol and other areas. So we don't want to see anything less than a complete withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukrainian territory.'

Security officials believe the move is an acknowledgement of Russia's failure to encircle and capture Kyiv in a matter of days, as had been planned at the onset of the invasion.

Turkey hailed the move as the 'most significant progress' in negotiations so far and it will raise hopes that Putin will ease off his savage bombardment of Russia's neighbour. 

Fomin said: 'The Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation has taken the decision to radically 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.'