Russia says it returns some troops to base in areas near Ukraine – EURACTIV.com

Some troops in Russia’s military districts adjacent to Ukraine are returning to their bases after completing drills, Russia’s defence ministry said on Tuesday (15 February), while NATO said it had not seen “any de-escalation on the ground”.

In a video published online, a ministry spokesman said that while large-scale drills across the country continued, some units of the Southern and Western military districts have completed their exercises and started returning to base, a move that could de-escalate frictions between Moscow and the West.

Video footage published by the defence ministry showed some tanks and other armoured vehicles being loaded onto railway flatcars.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Kyiv would “believe in de-escalation” only after seeing Russia’s pullout, Interfax Ukraine news agency reported.