Kiev, Apr 15 (IANS): Ukraine's tank units held exercises in the south near Crimea, the the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) Command said in a statement.

"Artillery and tank reserves performing combat missions along the border with the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, advanced to certain areas to counter the offensive of the supposed enemy," Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying on Wednesday

According to the legend of the exercises, an enemy tank unit, supported by infantry, tried to break through the Ukrainian defence line.

To counter this attack, Ukrainian anti-tank artillery and a tank reserve entered the battle.

Since last month, tensions have been escalating on the border between Ukraine and Russia.

The commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army Ruslan Khomchak said that Russia was building up troops near the Ukrainian border in the northern, eastern and southern directions.

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 Donbas.

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.