Moscow: The US has stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin was misled by the Russian army, Putin is angry after he was being shielded from the truth by Russian army generals.

The Russian troops have suffered casualties and destroyed startling quantities of Russian tanks by the Ukrainian army, with help of western help Ukraine has somehow resisted the attack of Russian troops.

US officials said Wednesday that Putin is angry after being shielded from the truth. Citing US intelligence, White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield said: "he felt misled by the Russian military."

A US official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, described "persistent tension" between Putin and military staff, with Putin now having "mistrust" in his generals.

At the Istanbul talks, Russian officials pledged to "radically" reduce their attacks because of progress in negotiations on "the neutrality and non-nuclear status" of Ukraine -- two central concerns for Moscow.

Both sides initially said the Istanbul meeting had made progress, but the Kremlin on Wednesday played down hopes of a breakthrough.

Meanwhile,  despite talks in Istanbul on Wednesday and Russian assurance of deescalating the attack, Russian troops have resorted to missile attacks at the outskirt of Kyiv city.

The negotiations in Istanbul could open the door to relative calm in pro-Western Ukraine evaporated in a series of battles, including more Russian bombing of civilian areas and advances by Ukrainian fighters.

As the number of refugees estimated by the United Nations topped four million  -- close to one in 10 inhabitants -- there was no sign of Russia making good on its promise during the talks Tuesday to pull back from the city of Chernigiv and capital Kyiv, NDTV reported.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an address that "we don't believe anyone," vowing Ukrainians will continue to "fight for every meter of our territory."

There was hope at least for some of the civilians caught under horrific Russian bombardments in the southern city of Mariupol after Russia's defense ministry said it had accepted a Ukrainian plan to open temporary evacuation corridors.

Irpin's mayor Oleksandr Markushyn said at least 200 people had been killed there since the war began.

On the eastern outskirts of the second city Kharkiv, a dozen corpses of Russian soldiers lying scattered in fields and houses after Ukrainian soldiers regained control of a highway.