Ukrainian President sends More Troops to the East

Ukraine’s president said Tuesday that additional troops are being deployed to the east, where fighting continues between government forces and pro-Russia separatist fighters.

Petro Poroshenko said the units would defend cities under government control against possible incursions.

His remarks came after Ukrainian security officials said during the weekend that Russia has intensified the transfer of troops and military equipment to separatist rebels. Moscow denies it aids the rebels.

‘‘Several new units have been formed that will enable us to repel possible attacks in the direction of Mariupol and Berdyansk, Kharkiv, and areas north of Luhansk and the Dnipropetrovsk region,’’ Poroshenko said, according to a statement on the presidential website.

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Tensions have spiked since the weekend, when rebels held an election that was condemned by the West and Ukraine as illegal and destabilizing.

‘‘In recent days, Russia-supported separatists have publicly stated their intention to expand the territory under their control. We strongly condemn ongoing separatist attacks in Mariupol and Dubalsiva and around the Donetsk Airport,’’ US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters in Washington.

‘‘Any attempt to push further into Ukraine would be another violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and a gross violation of the Minsk agreements signed by Russia, Ukraine, and the separatists,’’ she added, referring to the much-violated cease-fire agreed upon in September.

Ukraine and Western governments say Sunday’s vote gravely endangered the cease-fire, which envisioned local elections across the whole of the east but under Ukrainian law. Russia, however, quickly lent its support to the vote.

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