- By Steph. G. Halston
- (General Dispatch) – The Russian Defense Ministry has ordered the withdrawal of troops and their military equipment after conducting certain military drills on the Crimean Peninsula.
- “In accordance with the instructions of Russian Defense Minister and Army General Sergei Shoigu, the forces of the Southern Military District and the Airborne Troops involved in the sudden inspection events have started to return to their permanent posts on April 23,” the defense ministry said.
- General Sergei said he was satisfied with the movement that took place in Crimea, managing to send about 10000 troops, and having achieved the goal of conducting the drills as planned.
- The Moscow Times media reported that this maneuver was carried out by Russia in order to intimidate Ukraine and to demonstrate the military power they have and the way they can move in such a short time to the USA.
- Different investigations by some analysts are debating to know if in fact Russia had intentions to invade Ukraine, deploying warships, airplanes, among other military equipment.
- The media outlet EuroNews had reported that an exact date for Russian forces to withdraw from Crimea was not yet known, however General Sergei said that another massive deployment is likely to take place in the coming months.
- For now, although the military forces will be withdrawn, it does not mean that tensions between Ukraine and Russia will ease, including Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba, who has called for a greater presence of Western countries.
Adittional Information:
Breitbart: Russia Claims Troops Withdrawing from Crimea After Drills
TASS: Moscow redeploys troops participating in Crimea drills back to their permanent bases
