Russia withdraws troops from Ukraine borders

Russia's Defense Ministry announced that some units participating in military exercises would begin returning to their bases. The announcement from President Vladimir Putin is the strongest signal from Russia that it is trying to de-escalate the situation that has led to the military impasse near the Ukrainian border.

The Russian Defense Ministry announced only the withdrawal of units from Russia’s Western and Southern Military Districts that are closest to Ukraine, and so the troops could be easily sent back to the border, if needed.

The Russian Navy alone has sufficient forces deployed in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to mount a significant amphibious assault on the Ukrainian coast, including perhaps 2,000 troops and nearly 200 tanks and armoured vehicles loaded onto six large landing craft deployed from Russia’s Baltic and Northern Fleets.

AFP, the French news agency, reported, “Russia says military drills in Moscow-annexed Crimea have ended and soldiers are returning to their garrisons, a day after it announced a first troop pullback from Ukraine’s borders. State television shows images of military units crossing a bridge back to the mainland.”

An estimated 130,000 Russian troops are in position on Ukraine’s northern, eastern and southern sides. Experts are also cynical and have raised questions whether it is a tactic, and whether these troops are being replaced or being rotated, since they have been deployed in cold weather for a long time.