KYIV, UKRAINE – Russia is building up armed forces near Ukraine’s borders in a threat to the country’s security, Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Ruslan Khomchak said on Tuesday, accusing Moscow of pursuing an “aggressive policy” towards Kyiv.

In remarks to parliament, Khomchak also accused pro-Moscow separatists of systematically violating a ceasefire in the conflict in eastern Ukraine agreed in July 2020.

Ukraine and Russia have traded blame for a spike in violence in the conflict, which Kyiv says has killed 14,000 people since 2014.

Government forces and pro-Russian separatists accuse each other of breaching the ceasefire, and lawmakers say 26 Ukrainian servicemen have been killed so far this year, including four killed by snipers last week.

source