The Russian army has started its withdrawal from the border with Ukraine

The Russian military has started to withdraw from the border with Ukraine, where its troops had been deployed for weeks, stoking international tensionsthe Defense Ministry announced on Friday, quoted by local news agencies.

“Right now our units and our military are heading towards stations and airfields, loading ships, railway platforms and military transport planes,” the ministry said in a statement, quoted by Ria Novosti.

The Minister of Defense, Sergei Shoigu announced that the military exercises ended on Thursday and that all Russian soldiers who participated will be returned to permanent bases in early May.

His announcement was immediately received by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who warned that his army would remain “vigilant”.

Zelensky and his allies in Western capitals have been concerned in recent weeks about an upsurge in fighting between the Ukrainian military and pro-Moscow separatists in the east of their country., as well as by the accumulation of troops participating in the exercises.

A few hours after the announcement of the end of the exercises, the Russian president Vladimir Putin said Zelensky was welcome in Moscow at any time to discuss bilateral relations, but that Zelensky should discuss escalating fighting with Ukrainian separatist leaders.

Kiev has been fighting pro-Russian separatists in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Lugansk since 2014, following Moscow’s annexation of the Crimean peninsula.

The conflict, which has claimed more than 13,000 lives, has killed at least 31 Ukrainian soldiers since the start of the year, up from 50 in 2020.

After Russia announced the reduction of its presence in the area near the border with Ukraine, which exacerbated international tensions, The United States cautioned that it expected “actions, not words” in this regard..

“We have heard the words. I think what we’ll be looking for are stocksThe State Department spokesperson told reporters, Ned Prize.

Moscow’s announcement took place on Thursday, on the same day, he carried out a series of major exercises in Crimea, the occupied and annexed peninsula of Kiev in 2014.

More than 10,000 military personnel, 1,200 arms and military materiel units from the Combined Forces of the Southern Military District, Black Sea Fleet, Caspian Flotilla and Airborne Forces are participating in the exercises. So make over 40 warships and 20 support ships.

However, whatever the scale of the mobilization, it did not come close to the estimated total number of Moscow troops in the region. A few days ago, the European Union estimated that 150,000 soldiers were there, ensuring that it was the “largest deployment of the Russian army on the Ukrainian border and involved a” clear risk of further escalation.

NATO has taken note of the announcement of the withdrawal of Russian soldiers, but he assured that he will remain “vigilant”.

In contrast, Russia has ensured that its soldiers They carried out the exercises precisely to deal with Ukrainian provocations and NATO “threatening” activities on its borders.

(With information from AFP)

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