Russia Says Troops Withdraw From Crimea but U.S. Warns Ukrai MOSCOW—Russia’s Defense Ministry said it was withdrawing troops from Crimea following the completion of military drills as Western intelligence reports that Moscow could invade its smaller neighbor as soon as Wednesday didn’t immediately materialize.
Defense officials said the troops were returning to their permanent place of deployment, but their destination couldn’t be independently confirmed and large Russian military exercises continued across a broad front elsewhere near Ukraine.
The announcement follows statements on Tuesday from Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials that a small portion of their forces near Ukraine, exceeding 130,000 in total, would withdraw after exercises finished.
Russia in recent weeks has positioned land, air and sea forces on three sides of Ukraine and demanded that its leadership and Western allies heed Russian demands that the country never join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and address other grievances aired by Moscow.
On Tuesday, Ukrainian officials largely dismissed Russia’s statements on withdrawals, saying troops could easily move back toward the border. President Biden and other Western officials said the statements and other nods to diplomacy offered a hopeful sign that conflict could be avoided, but they awaited tangible evidence of Russian troop drawdowns.
Mr. Biden said Tuesday that an invasion remained “distinctly possible.”
Russia’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday that troops were withdrawing from the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014, and returning to their permanent place of deployment following the completion of military drills. The ministry didn’t say where those permanent bases are, and some may be in other locations near Ukraine.
The Russian announcement came as Ukraine marked a national day of unity, declared on Monday by President Volodymyr Zelenksy. The date was selected in part because U.S. officials have said Russia could launch large-scale attacks on Ukraine as soon as Wednesday.
Mr. Zelensky ordered the national flag to be flown nationwide. At 10 a.m. local time the national anthem was played and people gathered to sing along.