Ukrainian Forces Deploy Armoured Vehicles in Village Near Line of Contact in Donbass, LPR Says

LUHANSK (Sputnik) - The people’s militia of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) detected Saturday armoured vehicles of Ukraine's security forces in the village of Klinovoe near the line of contact in the region of Donbass.

"In violation of the item three of additional measures, the opponent continues to deploy weapons and military equipment in localities on the territory controlled by Ukraine," an official of the militia told reporters.

The official added that Ukrainian security forces deployed two armoured vehicles at the outskirts of the village of Klinovoe located close to the line of contact in Donbass.

The precarious situation around Ukraine has worsened over the past several months after Russia was accused by NATO and Ukraine of building up troops near the Ukrainian border and allegedly preparing for an invasion. A number of Western countries, including the US, stepped up military supplies to Ukraine in this regard.

Russia has consistently denied any plans to invade Ukraine, saying it has the right to move troops inside its territory, responding to what it considers threats to its national security, such as a growing NATO presence in Eastern Europe.

The conflict in eastern Ukraine began in the spring of 2014 after Donetsk and Lugansk proclaimed their independence. Ukrainian authorities launched a military operation to try to crush the independence-seeking forces in the country's east after the February 2014 Western-backed coup in Kiev. The war led to the deaths of up to 31,000 people, with tens of thousands more injured, and more than 2.5 million residents being externally or internally displaced.