MOSCOW, May 19 (RIA Novosti) – Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered the return of all troops involved in drills in the Rostov, Belgorod, and Bryansk regions on the border with Ukraine to their permanent bases, the Kremlin said.
“In line with the completed spring phase of preparing troops that required their dislocation and holding drills in the Rostov, Belgorod, and Bryansk regions, the Russian president gave the command to the defense minister to return the troops involved in the drills to their permanent bases and to continue drills in the nearby bases,” the Kremlin’s press service said.
In response to the developing situation in Ukraine’s southeast, where a special operation targeted the country’s own citizens in late April, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced the beginning of military drills of units from the Southern and Western military districts near the borders with Ukraine.
NATO earlier accused Russia of deploying approximately 35,000-40,000 troops in the vicinity of the Ukrainian border in preparation for a military intervention in Ukraine, despite Russia’s continued claims there was nothing unusual about its military drills.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow has nothing to hide about the military exercises, which were open to international inspections that proved them non-threatening.
