Russia withdraws troops from Crimea following drills

The Russian Defense Ministry said Friday that troops are returning from Crimea to the places of their permanent deployment, after they conducted large-scale exercises on the peninsula, reported Xinhua.

More than 10,000 soldiers and over 1,200 units of weapons and military equipment, including 40 warships and 20 supporting vessels, participated in the drills at the Opuk training ground on Thursday.

The drills in Crimea were part of Russia's nationwide combat readiness checks involving all military districts and the Northern Fleet, amid escalated tensions with Ukraine.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization has expressed concerns over the recent movements of Russian troops, and Moscow said these maneuvers within the country were aimed at protecting the southern and western borders.

"The objectives of the snap checks have been fully achieved. The troops have demonstrated their ability to provide reliable defense of the country," Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Thursday.

"I have made the decision to complete the verification activities in the Southern and Western military districts," he added.

Shoigu ordered all the troops involved in exercises in southern Russia to return to their places of permanent deployment by May 1.