Ukraine Mulls Closing Border with Russia - Defense Minister

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has vowed to act firmly against rebels in the east and south of the country. Photo by EPA/BGNES

Ukrainian officials are due to discuss whether to introduce of martial law in the Donbass region and to seal the border with Russia.

The country's Defense Minister Mykhailo Koval was quoted by Deutsche Welle as saying the options would top the agenda of the Council of National Security and Defense of Ukraine which is to be held Monday.

Kiev soldiers have taken a stretch of some 250 km along the border, and a full closure is to be expected "within the days to come".

Speaking for Ukraine's TV channel TSN, Koval also stressed that the military had all the means to wind down tensions in the south-east, where pro-Russian rebels have been occupying key buildings and venues in a number of towns and cities demanding autonomy, government resignation or even to join the Russian Federation.

Newly-elected Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko earlier called the Council for National Security and Defense to look into ways leading out of the Donbass crisis.

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