& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

UKRAINE CRISIS

Warns Nato as govt forces close in on rebel bastion

Warns Nato as govt forces close in on rebel bastion

REUTERS, Brussels
Russia has amassed around 20,000 combat-ready troops on Ukraine's eastern border and could use the pretext of a humanitarian or peace-keeping mission to invade, Nato said yesterday.
Stating the conflict in Ukraine was fueled by Russia, Nato said in a statement that the troop build-up had further escalated "a dangerous situation".
"We're not going to guess what's on Russia's mind, but we can see what Russia is doing on the ground - and that is of great concern. Russia has amassed around 20,000 combat-ready troops on Ukraine's eastern border," Nato spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said in an emailed statement.
Nato was concerned that Moscow could use “the pretext of a humanitarian or peace-keeping mission as an excuse to send troops into Eastern Ukraine", she said.
Moscow announced new military exercises to take place all this week, involving bombers and warplanes on Monday in a show of strength near the border with Ukraine.
The roughly 20,000-strong troop presence included tanks, infantry, artillery, air defence systems, as well as logistics troops, special forces, and various aircraft, the officer said.
Previously, Russia has used military exercises as cover for intervention as it did it when it annexed Crimea on March, military
Russia poised for invasion
analysts say.
Meanwhile an air strike hit the main rebel stronghold of Donetsk yesterday, as government forces preparing to retake the city said 18 soldiers were killed in clashes with rebels.
Kiev denied that it was behind the strike which caused no civilian casualties.
Ukrainian forces have been making advances over the past months and have been tightening their grip around Donetsk, where pro-Russian fighters have pledged to fight to the death.
The conflict in east Ukraine -- which the Red Cross has already labelled a civil war - has claimed over 1,300 lives since April, according to the United Nations.
UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has warned of "a massive exodus" if fighting intensifies. More than 285,000 Civilians have already fled the fightings from the restive East Ukraine
The European Union and the United States last week agreed tough new sanctions against Russia over its actions in Ukraine marking a new phase in the biggest confrontation between Moscow and the West since the Cold War.
The conflict worsened dramatically after the downing of Malaysian flight MH 17 over rebel-held territory on July 17 by what Western countries say was a Russian-supplied missile