Russian military says its troops back to bases after buildup

The Russian military says that its troops have returned to their permanent bases after concluding massive drills, the maneuvers near Ukraine that have drawn Western concerns

MOSCOW -- The Russian military said Thursday that its troops have returned to their permanent bases after concluding massive drills near Ukraine that alarmed Western countries. Gen. Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the military's General Staff, said that more than 300,000 troops, nearly one-third of the nation's 1 million member military, took part in the exercise earlier this month. Speaking during a meeting with the top military brass to discuss the drills, he noted that they involved 35,000 combat vehicles, about 900 aircraft and 180 navy ships. The commander of the Western Military District, Col. Gen. Alexander Zhuravlev, reported that most of his troops are now back at their garrisons, and just one trainload of troops was still on its way to their home base. The troop buildup in Russia's south and southwest near the Ukrainian border worried the West, which urged Moscow to withdraw its forces. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu ordered the troops pullback last week after watching major maneuvers in Crimea, but emphasized that the move had nothing to do with Western calls he rejected as inappropriate.