KYIV, Ukraine—Russia’s Defense Ministry said it was pulling back some troops from near Ukraine while noting that large-scale military maneuvers were continuing, and Western officials warned that combat units were moving into forward positions.
The announced pullback would scale down a total force that is still estimated to number more than 120,000, and came amid a new round of shuttle diplomacy aimed at defusing the crisis. Moscow has warned of unspecified consequences if the U.S. and its allies reject its security demands.