Russia Announces Troops Withdrawal Again, Foreign Minister Lavrov Says Military Exercises Finished On Schedule

JAKARTA - Russia's Defense Ministry has again announced the withdrawal of its troops from near the Ukrainian border following military exercises, with the Foreign Minister said the drills will end as scheduled.

The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on the ministry's website that the Units of the Southern Military District (SMD), which had completed participation in tactical exercises on the Crimean Peninsula, had been recalled to permanent deployment by train.

"The train carried tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and self-propelled artillery, across the Crimean bridge over the Kerch Strait", the Russian Defense Ministry said on its website as quoted on February 17.

"On arrival at the military unit, military equipment will be serviced and prepared for the next stage of combat training", the ministry continued.

It is known, the units of the South and West military districts, after completing their duties, have started loading onto rail and road transport, to return to their respective garrisons. Separate units will line up as part of a military convoy.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, said his side would end the joint Belarusian military exercises on February 20, as planned, dismissing Western concerns that Russian troops would be in Belarusian for a longer time, reported Reuters on February 17.

Separately, the RIA news agency quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying the issue of extending the stay of Russian troops in Belarus was not on the agenda.

To note, military exercises in Belarus have added to Western concerns about a possible Russian invasion of neighboring Ukraine. Moscow itself denies planning such an attack.