Russia’s defence ministry says some troops positioned on the border with Ukraine are returning to their bases after completing drills. The announcement came from Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov who spoke to the Interfax news agency.
Konashenkov said, “Units of the Southern and Western military districts that have completed their missions have already begun boarding rail and automobile transport and relocating to their garrisons today. Separate units will march on foot as part of military convoys.” According to Konashenkov, “some exercises are still ongoing.”
The joint Russian-Belarusian Union Resolve war exercises, another large-scale drill in the region, will conclude on 20 February.
Russia had deployed over 130,000 troops near Ukraine’s border, including approximately 30,000 servicemen participating in military drills in Belarus.
