(CNN) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered troops taking part in military exercises near the Ukrainian border to return to their bases, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti said Tuesday, citing presidential spokesman citing Dmitry Peskov.
However, that withdrawal, was disputed by Ukrainian border officials.
Sergey Astahov, assistant to the head of the Ukraine Security Border Service told CNN that Russian troops and vehicles remain near Ukraine's eastern border with Russia.
Russian troops and military vehicles are still concentrated near five border cities in Ukraine, including Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk, he said.
He said the Russian troops cannot be seen by Ukrainian security services but that local people closer to the border report their continued presence.
There's also no sign of any withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine's Crimea region -- despite a stream of rebukes and the threat of sanctions from world leaders Monday.
Report: Ukrainian forces defect
At least 700 Ukrainian soldiers and officers defected Tuesday, announcing their readiness to defend the population of Crimea, RIA Novosti said, citing a spokesman for the newly installed Crimean authority.
But Vladislav Seleznyov, head of the Ukranian Defense Ministry press office in Crimea, told CNN it had been largely quiet in Crimea overnight.
A group of pro-Russian Cossacks in civilian dress attempted to attack the Ukrainian naval headquarters in Sevastopol, Seleznyov said, but Ukrainian forces repelled the attack and no shots were fired.
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