KIEV, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine is conducting large-scale anti-terrorist exercises across the country to practice actions to protect strategically important infrastructures and state borders, the press service of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported on Monday.
According to the press service, the purpose of the training is to improve interdepartmental cooperation to counter possible terrorist and subversive threats. The regional divisions of the SBU, the National Police, the State Border Service, the National Guard, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the State Emergency Service, representatives of executive authorities and local government will take part in the trainings.
The training conditions are as close as possible to the real ones, according to the SBU.
Since last month, tensions have been escalating on the border between Ukraine and Russia. Commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Ruslan Khomchak said that Russia was building up troops near the Ukrainian border in the northern, eastern and southern directions.
The Russian military has deployed two armies and three airborne formations to western borders that has worried Ukraine.
Commenting on the recent movement of Russian troops near the border with Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia was taking necessary measures to ensure its border security and the measures posed no threat to others.
According to the spokesman, Ukraine had not fulfilled its obligations under the Minsk agreements, leading to an escalation of tensions in Donbass.
The ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine, which began in April 2014, has claimed some 14,000 lives and left as many as 40,000 wounded. Enditem