Ukraine accused Russia on Wednesday of conducting a large military buildup near the countries' border that raises the threat of an invasion, but Moscow denied that, AP reported. Andriy Parubiy, secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, told reporters in Kiev that Russia has deployed more than 80,000 troops, up to 270 tanks and 140 combat planes close to the border, creating the "threat of a full-scale invasion from various directions." Parubiy said Russian troops are based in the immediate vicinity of the Ukrainian border, some of them as close as a two- or three-hour drive from Kiev, the Ukrainian capital. In Moscow, Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov denied a military buildup on the nearly 2,000-kilometer (1,250-mile) border. He also said Moscow has accepted a request that Ukraine made Tuesday to conduct a surveillance flight over Russian territory. -- SPA 22:26 LOCAL TIME 19:26 GMT تغريد
