Ukraine accuses Russia of ‘muscle-flexing’ as tensions rise

Kremlin spokesman plays down military build-up, says Russia taking measures to ensure the security of its own borders.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of whipping up tensions as NATO voiced concern about what it said was a Russian military build-up near eastern Ukraine. Unverified social media footage has suggested Russia has been moving large quantities of tanks, armoured personnel carriers and other equipment to regions that border Ukraine, as well as to Crimea, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Ukrainian and US officials this week reported Russian troop movement in these regions, near territories controlled by Moscow-backed separatists.