MOSCOW, February 16. /TASS/. NATO is experiencing problems in its system for evaluating ongoing events when it does not see the return of Russian military personnel to their places of permanent deployment after the exercises, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists commenting on the statements by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg about the "buildup" of Russian forces near the Ukrainian border.

"A certain handicap is present in NATO's system for evaluating the state of affairs, which certainly does not allow NATO representatives to soberly assess the situation," the press secretary said. He added that "NATO has a problem, and that problem is in its situation assessment system," and went on to confirm the assumption that NATO incorrectly assessed the situation.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday that the US-led North Atlantic bloc cannot provide the precise number of Russian forces near Ukraine’s border, but stated that the amount was on the rise. Responding to a question about the withdrawal of Russian troops following the completion of the exercises, Stoltenberg said that the Western-led bloc saw "no signs yet on the ground" to confirm the Russian troop pullback.

As the Russian Defense Ministry said, Russian military personnel and equipment completed their exercises and started returning to their permanent bases.