Russian troops have completed their training drills in Belarus, close to neighboring Ukraine, and will begin returning to their places of regular deployment, the Ministry of Defense in Moscow has announced.

This comes amid fears in the West that the exercises could have been a precursor to an invasion.

Major General Igor Konashenkov, the chief spokesperson for the ministry, said the different divisions would be moving separately in military columns. 

Russia began conducting the joint Union Resolve drills with Belarus last week, and they are scheduled to last until February 20.