Russia says its units are going home after exercises near Ukraine. Evidence suggests otherwise

Don't Trust -- Do Verify: That's the unofficial mantra from Western officials in response to Russia's declarations that some of their units that have been encircling Ukraine are now returning to base.

Russia appears keen to prove those declarations to the world through well-produced videos distributed by the Ministry of Defense on Tuesday and Wednesday.

In several of those videos, units from the Southern and Western Military Districts were said to be going back to base from Crimea after completing their exercises there. Traffic heading east across the bridge over the Kerch Strait included tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and fuel trucks, which supported the units.