LUGANSK, April 21. /TASS/. The Ukrainian military command is increasing the number of troops along the border with Belarus and building echeloned defenses, military expert Andrey Marochko told TASS.

"According to the data received, the Ukrainian command has recently stepped up the number of troops along the Belarusian-Ukrainian border. Ukrainian servicemen are present in the Chernigov and Zhitomir Regions, where they were not before," he said, citing his own sources.

Marochko added that Ukrainian troops are fortifying old positions and establishing new ones in the abovementioned territories. "An echeloned defensive line is being constructed with the involvement of the civilian population," the expert pointed out.