Officials from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization say they have seen a "significant" pull-back of Russian troops in eastern Ukraine, as government troops and pro-Russian fighters struggle to maintain a fragile ceasefire.
"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," Canadian Lt. Col. Janzen said Wednesday, the BBC reported.
Ukraine and NATO are convinced that Russia was sending troops and supplying weapons to the rebels ever since the outbreak of conflict in April. Though Moscow admitted that Russian volunteers were operating in Ukraine, there was never any admission of aiding the separatists in their fight for independence.
Janzen said at this time it's difficult to determine exactly how many Russian troops remain in Ukraine. A ceasefire was put in place Sept. 5, but there is still rebel movement around parts of the Ukraine-Russian border they still control. Fighting was also reported Tuesday night in Donetsk and other eastern areas, the BBC reported.
Russian troops continue to move back and forth across the border, according to the colonel.
"Further, Russian special forces are operating in Ukraine, and they are difficult to detect," Janzen said.
Ukraine granted temporary autonomy and regional December elections to the insurgents in Donetsk and Luhansk as part of the ceasefire. In an act of defiance towards the government, separatist leaders said Tuesday they will hold elections on Nov. 2, the BBC reported.
The United Nations said over 3,200 people were killed in the conflict that was sparked by Russia's annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula Crimea in March.
