Russia pulls back troops from border at Ukraine

Russia pulled back a battalion from along the Ukrainian border yesterday after sending its prime minister to shower promises on Crimea, pledging quick funds to improve power supplies, water lines and education on its newly annexed peninsula.

The German government said Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian president Vladimir Putin talked on the phone and Mr Putin told her that he had ordered a partial withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine’s eastern border.

One battalion — about 500 troops — that had been sent to the Rostov region next to Ukraine was being withdrawn to its permanent base in the central Samara region, Russian news agencies quoted the Defence Ministry as saying.