Ukraine says soldier killed in attack by pro-Russian separatists in Donbas

KYIV, Ukraine

A Ukrainian soldier was killed in an attack by pro-Russian separatists in the eastern Donbas region, the Ukrainian military said on Wednesday.

The separatists violated the cease-fire in Novotoshkivske region on Tuesday, according to a statement.

Russia is said to have amassed tens of thousands of troops near Ukraine’s border, a move that has prompted concerns by the West that Moscow could be planning another military offensive against its ex-Soviet neighbor. It comes years after Russia's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region.

The US and Ukraine’s other Western allies, including the EU, say they will impose sanctions on Russia if it launches an offensive. But Russia has denied it plans to invade Ukraine.

Last December, US President Joe Biden spoke by phone with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, urging Moscow to de-escalate tensions with Ukraine.

*Writing by Jeyhun Aliyev in Ankara