The Kremlin announces that Russian soldiers have been ordered back to the Ukrainian border. They had “completed their duties”. News ticker.
- In the Ukraine conflict, hopes for a relaxation are increasing. The Kremlin has announced the return of some Russian units to the border (see first report).
- A spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry announced that the troops would return to their home bases.
- This News ticker on the Ukraine crisis is continuously updated.
Update from February 15, 10:30 a.m.: The US broadcaster CNN has identified the exact locations of Russian weapon systems on the Ukrainian border. These include not only tanks and howitzers, but also submarines, landing ships and short-range ballistic missiles, as CNN reported using footage from the region. The broadcaster geolocated some videos shared on social media. Several convoys of tanks and howitzers were spotted in the Russian village of Sereteno, just 15 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Dozens of convoys were also located in Voronezh, which is one of the main meeting places for Russian troops in the wake of the Ukraine crisis. In the convoys, which are accompanied by helicopters, there are rockets and artillery in addition to tanks.
Ukraine conflict: Putin recalls some military units
First report: According to the Kremlin, some of the Russian soldiers who have been stationed at the Ukrainian border for months have been ordered back to their home garrisons. Units from the military districts in southern and western Russia* have “completed their duties” and will be heading back to their military bases later in the day, Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said, according to Russian news agencies on Tuesday. According to Konashenkov, preparations for this have already begun. The Russian broadcaster RT published footage provided by the Ministry of Defense, which probably shows the return of Russian troops.
Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had informed Russian President Vladimir Putin * on Monday that some of the Russian army’s controversial military maneuvers in their own country and in Belarus were coming to an end. The massive Russian troop deployment on the border with Ukraine* has fueled fears of a Russian invasion of the neighboring country for weeks. According to US information, “clearly” more than 100,000 Russian soldiers were mobilized in the border area. A Russian naval maneuver near the Crimean Peninsula in the Black Sea also raised concerns.
Ukraine conflict: increased NATO troop presence in Eastern Europe – Scholz visits Moscow
In response to Russian troop movements, the West had increased its military presence in Eastern Europe. On Monday, the first additional Bundeswehr soldiers arrived to strengthen the so-called Enhanced Forward Presence (EFP) of NATO* in the EU country of Lithuania. In total, the Bundeswehr wants to send 350 more soldiers and around 100 military vehicles to Lithuania. So far, around 550 German soldiers are stationed in the former Soviet republic.
The Ukraine conflict* is also the focus of the visit by Chancellor Olaf Scholz* (SPD) to Putin this Tuesday in Moscow. Scholz had already met the Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Zelenskyj in Kiev on Monday. (AFP) * Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA
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