“A Ukrainian official said the nation has regained control of the capital city of Kyiv, while chances appeared better for peace talks ahead.

“Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar, in a Facebook post Saturday, said that the “whole Kyiv region is liberated from the invader.” Russia did not immediately comment, and CNBC could not independently verify the claim.

“In another development, the possibility of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia seemed to advance Saturday. Draft peace treaty documents have moved along far enough for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russia’s Vladimir Putin, according to Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia.

“That news came as Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed Saturday about 18,000 Russian military forces have been killed since the start of the invasion.”

Read more at NBC