File picture of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Defence Minister introduced the workouts have been winding down on Thursday and that each one Russian troopers could be returned to everlasting bases by May.
- AFP
- Last Updated:April 23, 2021, 14:24 IST
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Russia on Friday started withdrawing troops that had been operating drills close to the borders of Ukraine, the defence ministry stated, following weeks of heightened tensions between Moscow and the West over the buildup. “Military models and formations are at the moment marching to railway loading stations and airfields, and loading onto touchdown ships, railway platforms and army transport plane,” the ministry said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies.
Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu announced the exercises were winding down on Thursday and that all Russian soldiers participating would be returned to permanent bases by the beginning of May.
His announcement was immediately welcomed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky who cautioned that his military would remain “vigilant”.
Zelensky and his allies in Western capitals have been involved in latest weeks by an uptick in combating between the Ukrainian military and pro-Moscow separatists within the east of his nation, in addition to by the buildup of troops collaborating within the drills.
Hours after the tip to the workouts was introduced, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated Zelensky was welcome in Moscow anytime to focus on bilateral relations, however that Zelensky ought to focus on the surge in combating with separatist leaders in Ukraine’s breakaway republics.
Kiev has been battling pro-Russian separatists within the japanese Donetsk and Lugansk areas since 2014, following Moscow’s annexation of the Crimean peninsula.
The battle, which has claimed greater than 13,000 lives, has seen at the very least 31 Ukrainian troopers killed because the begin of the 12 months, in contrast to 50 in all of 2020.
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