Pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine have been bolstered by 1,200 troops who "trained for four months in Russia", according to the separatists' leader.
A video recording of Alexander Zakharchenko speaking to delegates appears to confirm reports of Moscow’s military support to the rebels, who have been fighting Ukrainian government troops since April.
Petro Poroshenko, Ukraine’s president, claimed on Friday that his forces had destroyed part of a column of Russian military vehicles that crossed into Ukraine, with Nato accusing Moscow of launching an “incursion”.
