Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) has said that militants continue to violate the ceasefire in the area of the anti-terrorist operation in the east of Ukraine and that the Russian side is building up its military presence in the area controlled by illegal armed groups.

"In Luhansk region, military equipment and manpower are being moved to the area of the towns of Schastia, Pervomaisk, Popasna and Slovianoserbsk," deputy head of the NSDC information and analytical center Volodymyr Polevy said at a briefing in Kyiv on Saturday.

He said that in the past 24 hours militants had most actively shelled Ukrainian positions in the Donetsk direction where the Donetsk airport twice came under fire with grenade launchers, sniper rifles and small arms.

Polevy also said that in the past 24 hours border guards had repulsed an attack by armed men near the settlement of Blahodatne in Luhansk region.