"Thousands of troops withdraw, tens of thousands remain"

"Thousands of troops withdraw, tens of thousands remain"

BELGRADE -- Russia withdrew several thousand troops from the border with Ukraine, but tens of thousands still remain there, said an unnamed NATO official.

"A number of Russian troops were withdrawn from the border. The activities that we see in this area indicate a gradual withdrawal of forces," said the official, who wished to remain anonymous, quoted by Reuters.

"The majority of Russian soldiers remained near the border, ready to quickly take action if ordered. Thousands of troops have withdrawn, but tens of thousands are still there," said the source.

NATO had previously made an assessment that Russia had some 40,000 soldiers on the border with Ukraine.