Poroshenko warns of threat of ‘full-scale invasion’ by Russia as rebel troops mass in eastern Ukraine

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Thursday there were 9,000 Russian servicemen on Ukrainian territory and warned of the threat of a “full-scale invasion” by Russia along the whole joint border.

He was speaking in parliament a day after Ukrainian forces fought their most serious battle for months with Russian-backed separatists in the east of the country, endangering an already shaky ceasefire.

“The military must be ready as much for a renewal of an offensive by the enemy in the Donbass as they are for a full-scale invasion along the whole length of the border with Russia. We must be truly ready for this,” he said.

At least 24 people have died in renewed fighting in eastern Ukraine, the warring sides said, as Russia and Ukraine accused each other of seeking to torpedo a tenuous peace deal.

A senior commander of the pro-Russian separatists doing battle with government forces, Eduard Basurin, said that 14 rebels and five civilians had died over the past 24 hours.