Ukraine crisis: Russia alarmed over US-Nato military moves

Moscow has voiced concern over an “unprecedented” increase in US and Nato military activity near Russian borders, amid an escalating crisis in Ukraine.

In a phone call, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu also urged his US counterpart Chuck Hagel to “turn down the rhetoric” over Ukraine.

The US said it had deployed extra troops in eastern Europe to reassure its Nato allies.

It has imposed new sanctions on Russia over its “intervention in Ukraine”.

The sanctions target seven Russian individuals and 17 companies which Washington says are linked to President Vladimir Putin’s “inner circle”.

In other developments on Monday:

Hennadiy Kernes, the mayor of Ukraine’s eastern city of Kharkiv, was shot and critically wounded Pro-Russian separatists seized a local government building in Kostyantynivka, a town in the eastern Donetsk region In Donetsk itself, pro-Russian activists armed with clubs and chains attacked a pro-unity rally; a number of people were injured.

In a statement, Mr Shoigu said he had a “candid” hour-long phone call with his American counterpart.

He stressed that US and Nato military activity in eastern Europe was accompanied by “provocative” statements about the need to “contain” Russia.

Mr Shoigu also announced that Russian troops had returned to their “permanent positions” after conducting military exercises on the border with Ukraine.

But he did not say whether the overall number of Russian troops deployed in the region – said to be around 40,000 – had been reduced.

Meanwhile, Mr Hagel warned that Russia’s continued aggression would result in more diplomatic and economic pressure.

He also called on Moscow to help secure the release of seven military observers linked to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe seized by pro-Russian gunmen in the town of Sloviansk last week.

The Russian ambassador to the OSCE, Andrei Kelin, earlier said Moscow was taking “steps” to secure the observers’ release.

Separatists were also continuing to detain about 40 people in the town of Sloviansk, including the observers, journalists, pro-Kiev activists and three members of Ukraine’s security service, officials in Kiev said.