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NATO Sees Significant Pullback of Russian Troops From Ukraine


Pro-Russian gunmen sits atop armored personal carrier as they pass through the checkpoint near the town of Zhdanivka, eastern Ukraine, Sept. 23, 2014.
Pro-Russian gunmen sits atop armored personal carrier as they pass through the checkpoint near the town of Zhdanivka, eastern Ukraine, Sept. 23, 2014.

NATO has observed a significant withdrawal of Russian forces from inside Ukraine, but many Russian troops remain stationed near the border, an alliance military spokesman said on Wednesday.

"There has been a significant pullback of Russian conventional forces from inside Ukraine, but many thousands are still deployed in the vicinity of the border,'' Lieutenant-Colonel Jay Janzen said in an e-mailed response to a request from Reuters for comment.

"Some Russian troops remain inside Ukraine. It is difficult to determine the number, as pro-Russian separatists control several border crossings and troops are routinely moving back and forth across the border. Further, Russian special forces are operating in Ukraine, and they are difficult to detect,'' he said.

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    Reuters

    Reuters is a news agency founded in 1851 and owned by the Thomson Reuters Corporation based in Toronto, Canada. One of the world's largest wire services, it provides financial news as well as international coverage in over 16 languages to more than 1000 newspapers and 750 broadcasters around the globe.

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