[JURIST] Russian President Vladimir Putin [BBC backgrounder] on Saturday ordered [press release] Russian troops to withdraw from the Ukrainian border in preparation for an upcoming meeting between the presidents of the two countries. The Russian government website released the statement in regards to the order stating, “Putin ordered to launch the return of the troops to their permanent bases. In total, these are 17.6 thousand military servicemen who were trained on the shooting ranges of Rostov region in summer.” It’s reported [Reuters report] that the order by President Putin came before a meeting between Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko [official website] in effort to ease tension between the countries. Critics are optimistic that this move by Russia is the beginning of compromise with Ukraine. Currently, the removal of troops within the Ukrainian region have already begun.

The crisis in the Ukraine [JURIST news archive] has continued to escalate over recent months with no immediate end in sight. Earlier this month a senior UN human rights official said that the death toll in Ukraine has risen above 3,000 and pleaded for peace [JURIST report] to spare more bloodshed. Also this month now-former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights [official website] Navi Pillay announced the findings of a report [JURIST report] detailing the harsh war-like conditions in eastern Ukraine that have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians. The report noted that civilian deaths are averaging approximately 36 per day, and also documented a number of serious human rights abuses committed primarily by the armed groups who seized control over a large part of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine. Late last month the UN OCHR issued a report [JURIST report] documenting the continuing deterioration of the human rights situation in Ukraine and calling for greater care to prevent civilian causalities in the region. Earlier in July Amnesty International [advocacy website] cited [JURIST report] mounting evidence of abductions and violence against activists, protesters and journalists in eastern Ukraine.