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Russia withdraws battalion from Ukrainian border Russia announces withdrawal of a battalion from Ukrainian border
(35 minutes later)
MOSCOW — The Russian Defense Ministry said Monday that a motorized infantry battalion is returning home after taking part in military exercises along the Ukrainian border.MOSCOW — The Russian Defense Ministry said Monday that a motorized infantry battalion is returning home after taking part in military exercises along the Ukrainian border.
Ukrainian officials said they were aware that Russia is pulling some troops back after a month of nerve-rattling maneuvers adjacent to eastern Ukraine, but in Kiev, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said he believed other Russian troops are being rotated in. Ukrainian officials said they were aware that Russia is pulling some troops back after a month of nerve-rattling maneuvers adjacent to eastern Ukraine, but in Kiev, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said he believes that other Russian troops are being rotated in.
A battalion can have anywhere from a few hundred to about 1,500 soldiers. The United States has said that Russia has 40,000 soldiers taking part in the exercise on the border. A size of a battalion can range from a few hundred to about 1,500 soldiers. The United States has said that Russia has 40,000 troops taking part in the exercise on the border.
The Russian Defense Ministry said the battalion is returning to its home base in the Samara region, along the Volga River.The Russian Defense Ministry said the battalion is returning to its home base in the Samara region, along the Volga River.
Russia has maintained from the start of the current crisis that it is only conducting legal, routine military training and has no intention of sending troops across the border into Ukraine. But Ukrainian, U.S. and European officials have warned that an intervention could take place at any moment — and that at the very least the Russian activity appears designed to put pressure on Kiev’s fledgling government. Russia has maintained from the start of the current crisis that it is conducting only legal, routine military training and has no intention of sending troops across the border into Ukraine. But Ukrainian, U.S. and European officials have warned that an intervention could take place at any moment — and that, at the very least, the Russian activity appears designed to put pressure on Kiev’s fledgling government.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the reported troop reduction seemed to be “a small signal that the situation is becoming less tense,” Reuters news service reported.German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the reported troop reduction seemed to be “a small signal that the situation is becoming less tense,” Reuters news service reported.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called Secretary of State John F. Kerry as Kerry flew to the Mideast on Monday to inform him of the battalion pullback. The two men met in Paris on Sunday to discuss the crisis but reached no agreement. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called Secretary of State John F. Kerry as Kerry flew to the Middle East on Monday to inform him that a battalion was being pulled back. The two men met in Paris on Sunday to discuss the crisis but reached no agreement.
Anne Gearan, traveling with Kerry, contributed to this report. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said later that if the reports of the withdrawal proved accurate, it would be “a welcome preliminary step.”
“We would urge Russia to accelerate this process,” she said.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told reporters in Washington that he could not confirm the reports.
Anne Gearan, traveling with Kerry, and Ernesto Londoño in Washington contributed to this report.