Some Russian Troops are Withdrawing from the Border with Ukraine

Some of the Russian troops stationed on the border with Ukraine are returning to their garrisons. This was reported by TASS and Interfax.

The official announcement of the Russian Ministry of Defense in Moscow is that they have already completed their exercises in the area.

"The units of the Southern and Western military districts that have completed the tasks have already started loading rail and road transport and will start moving to their military garrisons today," said ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov. "Individual units will march on their own in military convoys," he was quoted as saying by TASS.

The move could ease tensions between Russia and the West as Russian troops flock to Ukraine's borders raise fears of a possible invasion, Reuters reported.

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At the same time, the news does not reassure the authorities in Kyiv.

Russia must withdraw all other forces from the common border, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told the BBC, adding:

"We have a rule: don't believe what you hear, believe what you see. When we see a retreat, we will believe that there is a de-escalation."

However, the news of the withdrawal of soldiers was welcomed on the Moscow Stock Exchange. There was a rise in the ruble by more than 1 percent against the dollar and the euro.

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At 11.05 a.m. Moscow time, it was reported that units of the Southern and Western military districts of the armed forces of the Russian Federation had begun to return to the military garrisons after the exercises.

Minutes later, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova...