Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops engaged in military exercises, some of which were taking place near Ukraine, to return to their bases, his spokesman Dmitri Peskov said Tuesday.

The drills, designed to combat the troops' combat readiness, worried Western governments after Russia poured military personnel into the Russian-majority Ukrainian region of Crimea following the ouster of a Russia-oriented government in Ukraine and its replacement by a West-leading administration.

The maneuvers, which began last week, are to end as planned, Peskov said. Military personnel are to return to their bases on March 7, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told the Interfax news agency.

The exercises involved about 150,000 soldiers as well as airplanes, tanks and ships.

Also Tuesday, Russian warships passed through the Bosporus and were on their way to the Black Sea, a media report said.

They were heading from the Mediterranean Sea to the Black Sea and passed through the strait about 7:30 A.M. (5:30 GMT), CNN Turk reported.

The ships were identified as the Saratov and the Yamal.

Both are classified as landing ships and form part of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, which is based in Crimea.