The Russians negotiated a three (or four?) year stand down. Allegedly the soldiers liked the German posting because of the chocolate and generally better life in Germany than in Russia.

I remember back around '92 or '93 looking out from the window of an in-law who lived in the Harz mountains and seeing an old border watch tower. Then I commented that it looked like there were people up there. "Oh yes, those are the Russians" I was told. "Even though there is no border they keep up the procedures because they're afraid that if they just sit around they'll be sent home".