Russia 'moving forces away from Ukraine'
Russia claims it has ordered several trains carrying weapons and planeloads of troops out of its regions near Ukraine.
The Defence Ministry said four trainloads of weapons and 15 heavy lift transport planes left the Belgorod, Bryansk and Rostov regions on Tuesday.
It added that the troops are to reach their permanent bases by June 1.
His move reflected an attempt to ease tensions with the West over Ukraine and avoid a new round of Western sanctions, but Nato, which estimates that Russia has 40,000 troops along the border with Ukraine, has said it has not seen any signs of a withdrawal.
Russian president Vladimir Putin said the pullout involving large numbers of troops would take time.
The reported withdrawal came even as pro-Russian insurgents continued battling Ukrainian forces around Slovyansk, the eastern city that has been the epicentre of fighting.
In the village of Semenovka on the outskirts of Slovyansk, artillery shelling that appeared to come from government positions badly damaged several houses.
Many in the east resent the central government in Kiev, which came to power after the removal of a pro-Russian president in February following mass of protests, seeing it as a bunch of nationalists bent on repressing Russian speakers.
But many local residents have grown increasingly exasperated with the rebels, whom they blame for putting civilians in the crossfire.
Pro-Russia rebels have declared two regions independent following referendums dismissed as a sham by Ukraine and the West, and some called for joining Russia.
Mr Putin has ignored the plea as he sought to ease the worst crisis in Russia’s relations with the West since the Cold War.
The United States and the European Union imposed travel bans and asset freezes on members of Mr Putin’s entourage after Russia annexed Crimea in March.
The US and EU have warned that more crippling sanctions against entire sectors of the Russian economy would follow if Moscow tried to grab more land or attempts to derail Ukraine’s election.
Moscow has supported a peace plan brokered by Switzerland and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, which envisages a broad amnesty and the launch of a national dialogue that focuses on the decentralisation of government and upholding the status of the Russian language.
Russia also has pushed for guarantees that Ukraine will not join Nato and has advocated constitutional reforms that would give broader powers to the regions, which would maintain Moscow’s clout in the Russian-speaking eastern regions that form the nation’s industrial heartland.
