Ukraine responds to Russian troop withdrawal – media

The office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reportedly described the announcement made by the Russian Defense Ministry on Tuesday, that Russian troops and military hardware are preparing to depart regions adjacent to the Ukrainian border, as the “right signal.” According to Ukraine’s Liga (League) outlet, the positive response came from a top official in the presidential administration, Mikhail Podolyak.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmitry Kuleba, stressed during a press briefing that Kiev would believe the situation was moving toward de-escalation only when it saw Russian troops being pulled away from the border.

These comments follow Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov revealing that Russian troops had begun loading military hardware onto rail transport and trucks, and would head toward their permanent bases later in the day.

The ministry also released a video apparently showing the troops making preparations for departure.

According to Konashenkov, the Russian military has successfully completed its mission during exercises held in regions bordering Ukraine.

Speaking of the joint drills currently underway in Belarus, the official said that those were entering their final stage, too, with foreign countries’ military attaches invited to watch the exercises draw to a close.