Kyiv wary as Russian official signals new retreat in southern Ukraine

Zante, a cargo vessel carrying Ukrainian grain, transits Bosphorus, in Istanbul, Turkey November 2, 2022. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

KYIV (Reuters) -A Russian-installed occupation official in southern Ukraine said on Thursday Moscow was likely to pull its troops from the west bank of the Dnipro River, signalling a huge retreat that, if confirmed, would be a major turning point in the war.

Still, Ukrainian officials and Western analysts remained cautious about signs that Russia was abandoning the area, and there was silence from higher-ups in Moscow over what would amount to one of Russia's most humiliating retreats so far.