MADRID (MarketWatch) -- Russian troops sent on surprise military exercises in western and central Russia have been ordered to return to their bases, according to media reports Tuesday. The news triggered a sharp rise in U.S. stock futures and pushed gold and oil prices lower, a reversal of the prior day's action after a weekend of the Russia/Ukraine crisis intensifying. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the return after a Defense Ministry report said the exercises had been a success, the BBC said. The Wall Street Journal, citing Russia news agency Interfax, said those troops will return by March 7. The drills began last Wednesday and some of them were near the Ukraine border, which triggered some concerns among international watchers that Russian was building up for a massive incursion. There was no news, though, about Russian troops that are currently occupying a large part of Crimea. Russian's blue-chip MICEX index, which lost 11% on Monday, was up over 2% early Tuesday.