Ukrainian forces beefed up defences along the territories controlled by independence-seeking insurgents in the country's east as fighting intensified over the weekend, a military spokesman said here Monday.
"We have already prepared a first line of defense, reinforced our units, withdrawn additional defensive means and weapons from storages and geared up additional troops," said Andrei Lysenko, spokesman for the National Security and Defense Council.
Lysenko accused insurgents of attacking Ukrainian positions across Donetsk and Lugansk regions during the weekend and preparing a fresh offensive aimed at breaking into the territories controlled by the government forces.
Six government soldiers were killed and nine wounded in the fighting with rebels since Sunday, Lysenko said.
Separately, the press service of the government's military operation in the east said Ukrainian forces killed 23 insurgents Sunday, who tried to storm the government-controlled airport in the city of Donetsk.
Since fighting flared up in mid-April in Donetsk and Lugansk regions, more than 4,132 people have been killed, over 9,747 wounded and some 445,176 others displaced.