Russian news agencies reported that military exercises commenced in southern Russia on Tuesday, just hours after Paris announced that President Vladimir Putin had promised not to conduct any new drills near the Ukrainian border at this time. The Russian news agencies quoted a spokesperson from the Southern Military District, stating that the three weeks of nighttime tactical exercises would include missile systems, tanks, and armored vehicles. The Russian announcement did not clarify whether the drills represented a new development or were part of long-term plans. In December, Moscow stated that 3,000 exercises would be conducted in the southern region during 2022.
Putin met with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in the Kremlin on Monday, and a French official reported that Putin promised not to hold any new military exercises close to Ukraine for the time being. The Southern Military District of Russia borders Ukraine and includes the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014. However, the list of the ten areas where the drills will take place does not include territory along the Ukrainian border but rather regions in southern Russia and separatist areas from Georgia. Macron has become the highest-ranking Western leader to meet with Putin since Russia began amassing over 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian border. Western powers accuse Russia of planning an invasion, but Moscow denies these plans, stating it may conduct unspecified military actions unless several demands are met, including a commitment from NATO not to allow Ukraine to join its membership.
