The White House official said Russia’s statements about the withdrawals conflict with US intelligence, according to CNN. “All the intelligence we have shows that they are making false claims about de-escalation while secretly mobilizing for war.”

According to Russia, the US information is incorrect. “The statement about the 7,000 people is just as fictitious as the statement about a raid on February 15 or 16,” a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said. US intelligence agencies said earlier that Ukraine might invade Russia in those days.

Russian authorities have been saying since Tuesday that they are withdrawing their troops from the border. They posted pictures that would show tanks and other military vehicles being removed. This has already led to critical reactions at the international level, because no details were shared and the information was not confirmed by an independent party.

On Wednesday, NATO and Germany said they had no idea of ​​withdrawing. “It appears that Russia continues to build up its military,” NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said.

The buildup of Russian forces was followed for weeks by, among other things, the American satellite company Maxar Technologies. On Thursday, that company said on the basis of satellite images that Russia has already removed some military equipment, but new materials have also arrived.