According to Moscow, some Russian forces near the Ukrainian border are returning to their base.

Russian troops will return to their bases after completing their exercises and units in Russia’s southern and western military districts have already begun loading their equipment for their withdrawal, said Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenko on Tuesday.

The Kremlin also confirmed the start of the withdrawal, calling it a “normal process” and denouncing Western “hysteria” over an alleged imminent invasion of the country by Moscow.

“We have always said that after the completion of the exercises, the troops would return to their bases. This is what happens here, this is the normal process”, said Dmitry Peshkov, a spokesman for the Russian presidency.

Russia’s defense ministry has published videos of what it says are tanks moving back to base pic.twitter.com/cWvi7iagLY

— max seddon (@maxseddon) February 15, 2022

Russian financial markets have risen sharply today following reports that Russia is withdrawing some troops from the region near the border with Ukraine as German Chancellor Olaf Solz travels to Moscow for talks with President Vladimir Putin.

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— IgorGirkin (@GirkinGirkin) February 14, 2022

Russia has been mobilizing more than 100,000 troops since December on the border with Ukraine, raising fears in Kiev of an impending invasion.

Moscow denies this scenario, but seeks assurances of its security, such as a pledge that Ukraine will never join NATO, which the West rejects.

Russia is currently conducting joint military exercises with Belarus, which are expected to be completed on February 20.