Russia says pulling back some forces from Ukraine border
- 2 years ago
Russian Defence Ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov says Russia is pulling back some of its forces near the Ukrainian border to their bases, in what would be the first major step towards de-escalation in weeks of crisis with the West.
The move comes amid an intense diplomatic effort to avert a feared Russian invasion of its pro-Western neighbour and after Moscow amassed more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine's borders. It is not immediately clear how many units are involved and what impact the withdrawals will have on the overall number of troops surrounding Ukraine, but it is the first announcement of a Russian drawdown in weeks.
The move comes amid an intense diplomatic effort to avert a feared Russian invasion of its pro-Western neighbour and after Moscow amassed more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine's borders. It is not immediately clear how many units are involved and what impact the withdrawals will have on the overall number of troops surrounding Ukraine, but it is the first announcement of a Russian drawdown in weeks.