Russia announces return of troops from Crimea but Ukraine tensions persist

Russia has said military drills in Moscow-annexed Crimea have ended and that soldiers were returning to their garrisons.

"Units of the Southern Military District, having completed their participation in tactical exercises, are moving to their permanent deployment points," Moscow's Defence Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

The ministry published a video that it said showed a column of tanks and military vehicles leaving Crimea across a railway bridge after drills in the Russia-controlled peninsula. 

Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014.

The video, published by the RIA news agency, showed dozens of military vehicles crossing the bridge at night.

A separate convoy of service vehicles drove across a different bridge, the TASS news agency cited the military as saying.

"Combat equipment and military personnel will be delivered by military trains to the units' permanent deployment points," the defence ministry said. 

"Upon arrival, the equipment will be serviced and prepared for carrying out the next phase of combat training."

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Tensions remain

The development came a day after Russia announced a first troop pullback from Ukraine's borders. But Western leaders remain concerned that Russia could still launch an attack on Ukraine. 

US President Joe Biden warned on Tuesday that an attack by Moscow remained "very much a possibility". He added that Washington and its allies had yet to verify the withdrawal of any of the tens of thousands of troops.

The West says Russia has massed more than 150,000 and military equipment on the Ukrainian border. 

In response, the US and NATO have sent troops and military supplies to shore up alliance members in Eastern Europe.

Russia says it has no plans to invade Ukraine. Moscow maintains that its troop movements inside its border should not concern others.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday he welcomed a security dialogue with the West.

Russia wants the West to keep Ukraine and other ex-Soviet nations out of NATO, halt weapons deployments near Russian borders and roll back forces from Eastern Europe.

The US and its allies have roundly rejected those demands, but offered to engage in talks with Russia on ways to bolster security in Europe.

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