Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that any attempts to start a new military conflict in Ukraine's war-torn east could end up destroying Ukraine, the TASS news agency reported.
The comments come amid tensions after Ukraine's commander-in-chief this week accused Moscow of building up forces near their shared border and said that pro-Russian separatists were systematically violating a ceasefire.
The Kremlin said earlier on Thursday that recent Russian troop and military hardware movements near Russia's borders with Ukraine were aimed at ensuring Moscow's own security and were not a threat to anyone.