Ukraine's northern regions say Russian troops have mostly withdrawn; has withdrawn 2/3 of forces near Kyiv also; Ukrainian shot down state-of-the-art Russian fighter jet; Russian death toll in Ukraine surpasses 18,000, LIVE UPDATES and MORE

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Ukraine's northern regions say Russian troops have mostly withdrawn:

Officials in Ukraine's northern regions said on Monday Russian troops there had fully withdrawn or significantly reduced in number, leaving mines and damaged military vehicles behind.

Ukraine has reported Russian troops drawing back or being pushed back in the north since Russia announced last Tuesday that it would scale down its operations there to focus on battles in the east. read more

The governor of Zhytomyr region, which is west of Kyiv, said no Russian troops remained on its territory.

"They left, leaving some of their vehicles and munitions, but also they left having mined private homes and forests, essentially having left behind a trail of war," Governor Vitaliy Bunechko said in an online post.

Russia's defence ministry has not responded to a request for comment on previous allegations that withdrawing troops are planting mines in civilian areas. --->READ MORE HERE

REUTERS/Gleb Garanich/File Photo

Russia has withdrawn 2/3 of forces near Kyiv -U.S. official:

Russia has repositioned about two thirds of its forces from around Kyiv, with many consolidating in Belarus where they are expected to be refit, resupplied and redeployed elsewhere in Ukraine, a senior U.S. defense official said on Monday.

Over the weekend, Ukraine said its forces had seized back all areas around Kyiv, claiming complete control of the capital region for the first time since Russia launched the invasion.

The U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told reporters the United States estimated that prior to the pullback, there had been just under 20 battalion tactical groups focused on Kyiv. That was less than a sixth of the battalion tactical groups that the Kremlin deployed for the invasion.

"We still assess that the vast, vast majority of the more than 125 battalion tactical groups that the Russians invested in this invasion are still in Ukraine," the official said.

The official estimated that Russian forces that had withdrawn from around Kyiv would likely be redirected towards eastern Ukraine, but that was still not confirmed. --->READ MORE HERE

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