Russia announces return of troops from Crimean peninsula

Russia’s Defense Ministry released a video (see below) on Wednesday that shows tanks and military vehicles leaving Crimea over a railway bridge after military exercises have concluded, adding that some troops will also return to their permanent bases. .

Moscow had already announced a partial withdrawal of forces near Ukraine on Tuesday (15). The move was met with skepticism, however, and US President Joe Biden said more than 150,000 Russian troops are still massed near Ukraine’s borders.

World powers have been embroiled in one of the deepest crises in relations for decades, vying for post-Cold War influence and energy supplies, while Moscow wants to prevent its former Soviet neighbor from joining NATO’s military alliance.

New footage shows what the Defense Ministry said were tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and artillery units leaving the Crimean peninsula that Moscow occupied in 2014.

🎥 Кадры пересечения Крымского моста эшелоном с военной техникой подразделений #ЮВОдвижущимся в пункт постоянной дислокации https://t.co/7cbNNawCDa#Минобороны #БоеваяПодготовка #АрмияРоссии pic.twitter.com/X3ysaW1pQU

— Минобороны России (@mod_russia) February 16, 2022

“Combat and military equipment will be delivered by military trains to the units’ permanent deployment points,” the Defense Ministry said. “On arrival, equipment will be prepared for the next phase of combat training.”