Russian troops have retreated from Chernobyl returning control of the site to the Ukrainians, authorities said.

Ukraine’s state power company, Energoatom, said the pull-out at Chernobyl came after soldiers received ‘significant doses’ of radiation from digging trenches in the forest in the exclusion zone around the closed plant.

The exchange of control happened amid growing indications the Kremlin is using talk of de-escalation in Ukraine as cover to regroup, resupply its forces and redeploy them for a stepped-up offensive in the eastern part of the country.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Russian withdrawals from the north and centre of the country may be a military tactic.

A new round of talks between the countries is due to take place today, five weeks into a conflict that has left thousands dead and driven four million Ukrainians from the country.

‘We know their intentions,’ Mr Zelensky said in his nightly video address to the country.

‘We know that they are moving away from those areas where we hit them in order to focus on other, very important ones where it may be difficult for us.’

‘There will be battles ahead,’ he added.

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