Russian troops start pulling back from Ukrainian border

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian troops began pulling back to their permanent bases Friday after a massive buildup that has caused Ukrainian and Western concerns.

On Thursday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu declared the sweeping maneuvers in Crimea and wide swaths of western Russia over, and ordered the military to bring the troops that took part in them back to their permanent bases by May 1.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the announcement.

The Russian Defense Ministry said Friday that its forces that took part in the massive drills in Crimea were moving to board trains, transport aircraft and landing vessels en route to their permanent bases.



This handout photo taken from a video released on Friday, April 23, 2021 by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service shows, Russian military's armored vehicles roll into landing vessels after drills in Crimea. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Thursday ordered troops back to their permanent bases after a massive military buildup that caused Ukrainian and Western concerns. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/europe-russia-ed045e5d7e74f98306095f050af7e502

[oasis]

1. Get out and stay out.

[SheltieLover]

2. This!👆

[Rhiannon12866]

19. +1000

[Doc Sportello]

3. That flag doesn't look Russian

https://www.google.com/search?q=russian+flag&rlz=1CAZAQH_enUS871&sxsrf=ALeKk00iGlxSAZfPoPq8bAwmzGDmbR--ag:1619182653809&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=b-7Ub-F25R2-6M%252CcWUXho3fdMme9M%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kTJcvLhOdAZ028xkRqslUBw8aMwww&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjUh6C3tZTwAhXCs54KHb8EDgsQ_h16BAgwEAE#imgrc=b-7Ub-F25R2-6M

Looks almost like it's British.

[PatSeg]

5. Oh you're right, it does

[Kaleva]

6. It's a Russian Naval Jack flown from the bow of a Russian warship

[OnlinePoker]

7. It's Russia's Naval Jack

These fly at the bow of a ship.

[PatSeg]

4. I wonder what would have happened

if Trump was President.

[FailureToCommunicate]

8. Looks more like those vehicles are OFF loading rather than loading.

But this is good news, if our surveillance satellites confirm it to be true.

[marble falls]

12. They back in to load. Better to be pulling straight off on a hot LZ.

[FailureToCommunicate]

16. Oh, of course.

[Lulu KC]

9. Behind the headlines

I believe Michael MacKay and this is what he says on Twitter.


Michael MacKay
@mhmck
The Russian regime of state terrorism lies about everything. Russia says it will withdraw some troops from the Ukrainian border but keeps its armies of occupation in the south and east of Ukraine. Russian forces continue to attack along the invasion battlefront in Donbas.

[Oneironaut]

10. Ya - Putin's MO wouldn't be an invasion, I think.

More like he’ll send small groups into Ukraine, attack Ukrainians, and gaslight everyone in the world about it.

[Trust_Reality]

11. Russian bosses specialize in misinformation.

[FlyingPiggy]

18. I think this is absolutely spot on

[LudwigPastorius]

13. Putin blinked.

Joe has seen, up close, the way you have to deal with that little punk.

[Midnight Writer]

14. So, I wonder what the point of this whole exercise was?

[Aristus]

15. To test Joe.

Joe passed.

[Mysterian]

17. Pooty Rooty knows NATO would repulse his invasion

and end his reign of tyranny.