Russia says its troops are leaving the Ukraine border
Russia on Wednesday said its military drills in Crimea peninsula had ended and that troops were returning to their bases. Crimea is a peninsula in eastern Europe that was annexed by Russia in 2014. Meanwhile, the Russian state television showed images of military units crossing a bridge that links the peninsula to the Russian mainland.
Why does this story matter?
This marks a major step toward de-escalation following weeks of tensions between Russia and Ukraine. On Tuesday, Russia had announced a first pullback of its troops from the border. The world's largest country had amassed over 1,30,000 soldiers near the border but repeatedly denied any plans of invading Ukraine. Russia has been opposing Ukraine's efforts to join NATO, a United States-led international military alliance.
Russian defense ministry issues statement
"Units of the Southern Military District, having completed their participation in tactical exercises, are moving to their permanent deployment points," the Russian defense ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. Several tanks, infantry vehicles, and artillery were leaving Crimea via rail, according to the statement. It, however, did not mention how many troops were being pulled out.
Western leaders skeptical about Russia's claims
However, Russia's pullback announcement on Tuesday had met with skepticism from leaders of Western countries. US President Joe Biden had said a Russian attack on Ukraine was still a possibility, adding Russia's claims had not been verified. UK defense secretary Ben Wallace also said there was no evidence of Russia scaling down its military operations.
Russia still in 'a threatening position,' Biden says
"(Russian forces leaving) would be good, but we have not yet verified that," Biden said in a statement televised nationally. "Indeed, our analysts indicate that they remain very much in a threatening position," he added.
Ukraine faces major cyber attack amid tensions
Meanwhile, Ukraine has said that websites linked to its defense ministry, armed forces, and two state banks have been hit by a cyber attack that could be connected to Russia. The defense ministry website displayed a message saying it was "undergoing technical maintenance." "It cannot be excluded that the aggressor is resorting to dirty tricks," Ukraine's communications watchdog said in reference to Russia.
