Kiev--Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko warned Thursday of the "colossal threat" of major clashes in eastern Ukraine where at least 26 people have died in renewed fighting between government forces and pro-Russian rebels.
Fresh clashes erupted near the rebel stronghold of Donetsk on Wednesday, in one of the worst outbreaks of violence since a European-brokered truce was agreed in February.
The upsurge in fighting has revived fears in Kiev that the separatists have used the lull since the truce to regroup and may be gearing up for a new push into government-controlled territory.
"There remains a colossal threat of resumption of large-scale fighting on the part of Russian terrorist groups," Poroshenko said in his annual address to parliament, referring to the insurgents.
Poroshenko alleged that more than 9,000 Russian soldiers were now in east Ukraine to support the rebellion, adding that Moscow kept supplying rebels with new weapons.
The EU expressed alarm over the escalation, calling it "the most serious violation" yet of the February ceasefire.
And Germany's foreign minister expressed "great concern" over the "serious violations" of the February truce, warning of the threat of military escalation.
"We must urgently aim to bring the situation under control," said Frank-Walter Steinmeier. "The truce is fragile, the violations can lead to us again falling back into a state of military escalation."
The Kremlin accused Kiev of seeking to torpedo the truce ahead of an EU summit in June which will discuss whether to extend sanctions against Russia set to expire in July.
"No doubt these provocations are being organised by the Ukrainian army," Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
"We are seriously worried by this indeed."
AFP
