Ukraine Builds Up Armed Forces on Crimea Border

Ukraine has built up its armed forces on the border with Crimea in accordance with President Poroshenko's combat readiness order, the country's chief of the general staff said.

"Divisions and units of the Ukrainian armed forces which are stationed in the vicinity of the administrative border with Crimea are on high alert. A build-up of corresponding groups has been carried out," Viktor Muzhenko said on his Facebook page.

Earlier in the day, Petro Poroshenko ordered to put all military units near the border with Crimea and in Donbass on high combat readiness.

The move comes a day after the Russian Federal Security Service said it had foiled terrorist attacks in Crimea organized by the Ukrainian main intelligence directorate, and stamped out a spy ring detaining both Russian and Ukrainian nationals involved in the plot. Two Russian officers were killed.

Crimea rejoined Russia after a 2014 referendum in which over 96 percent of the Crimean population voted in favor of reunification. Sevastopol, which has a federal city status, supported the move by 95.6 percent of the votes.