Russian troops start pulling back from Ukrainian border [View all]
Source: AP
By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV
MOSCOW (AP) Russian troops began pulling back to their permanent bases Friday after a massive buildup that has caused Ukrainian and Western concerns.
On Thursday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu declared the sweeping maneuvers in Crimea and wide swaths of western Russia over, and ordered the military to bring the troops that took part in them back to their permanent bases by May 1.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the announcement.
The Russian Defense Ministry said Friday that its forces that took part in the massive drills in Crimea were moving to board trains, transport aircraft and landing vessels en route to their permanent bases.
This handout photo taken from a video released on Friday, April 23, 2021 by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service shows, Russian military's armored vehicles roll into landing vessels after drills in Crimea. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Thursday ordered troops back to their permanent bases after a massive military buildup that caused Ukrainian and Western concerns. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/europe-russia-ed045e5d7e74f98306095f050af7e502