Great doubts about the Russian withdrawal

© Press Service of the Russian Ministry of Defense via AP / TT
Russian military vehicles cross the bridge over the Kerch Strait on Wednesday. Photo distributed by the Russian Ministry of Defense.

Russia announces the exit of military forces from the Crimea. But the outside world has not yet dared to trust the news of Russia’s retreat.

The information began arriving on Tuesday, when Russia announced that forces from the country’s western and southern military districts had begun to return home, after exercises near Ukraine’s border.

On Wednesday morning, the Russian Defense Ministry said trains loaded with military equipment had left over the bridge over the Kerch Strait that connects the illegally annexed peninsula to mainland Russia. These units have local bases in the far south of Russia, between the Black and Caspian Seas. By Russian standards, it is close to home, about 50 km.

© Russian Ministry of Defense / AP / TT
A Russian military ship sails in the port of Sevastopol in Crimea, on February 10. Photo distributed by the Russian authorities.

exactly the contrary?

But the message, like similar information received on Tuesday, has yet to be verified by other parties.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said, before Wednesday’s meeting between the defense ministers of the military alliance, that what Russia says has not yet appeared on the ground.

– On the contrary, it seems that Russia continues its military build-up, he says.

“We have a rule: do not believe what you hear, believe what you see,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote. on Twitter This Tuesday.

Wednesday pointed

The United States had previously indicated Wednesday as a possible date for a Russian attack on eastern Ukraine, citing its intelligence. Russia rejected all reports of the attacks, despite the massive mobilization that took place around Ukraine.

But another type of attack occurred on Tuesday. The alleged congestion attack disrupted large websites between the Ukrainian authorities and major banks. After a few hours, the event was over.

It’s unclear where the cyberattack came from, but similar past intermezzos have pointed to Russia. Russia denies involvement.