Ukraine rebels accuse gov’t forces of mortar attack: Live | Ukraine-Russia crisis News

The incident comes after Russia has amassed more than 100,000 troops close to Ukraine’s border while demanding that NATO pledge not to accept Kyiv as a member.

Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine have accused Ukrainian forces of using mortars, grenade launchers and a machine gun in four separate incidents.

Russia’s defence ministry said troops and military equipment from its western military district’s tank army were returning to their permanent deployment bases after drills.

However, Ukraine said it has seen no evidence of that and the United States said it suspected it had in fact increased its presence.

Here are the latest updates on Thursday, February 17:

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1 hour ago (05:52 GMT)

Ukraine rebels accuse gov’t forces of mortar attack

Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine have accused government forces of opening fire on their territory four times in the last 24 hours.

The assertions were made in a statement issued by representatives of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic.

There was no immediate reaction from Ukraine or from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which has been monitoring the situation in eastern Ukraine but has pulled out some of its monitors in recent days.

Russia has amassed more than 100,000 troops close to Ukraine’s border while demanding that NATO pledge not to accept Kyiv as a member.

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1 hour ago (05:52 GMT)

Russia says video shows its western army tanks returning from drills

Russia’s defence ministry said it published a video showing troops and military equipment from its western military district’s tank army returning to their permanent deployment bases after drills.

However, the US said on Wednesday that Moscow added as many as 7,000 troops to forces stationed along the tense border, contradicting Kremlin declarations that military units were being pulled back.