Russia says it pulls some troops from Crimea after drills

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia’s Southern military district said on Tuesday that its forces have started withdrawing from Crimea and returning to their bases after completing drills on the peninsula which Russia seized from Ukraine, Interfax reported.

Russian financial markets rose strongly on Tuesday on a report that Russia was pulling back some troops from near the Ukrainian border, as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz flew into Moscow for talks with President Vladimir Putin.

Interfax cited the district command as saying that some of the troops were moving to bases in Russia’s southern regions of Dagestan and North Ossetia. Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.