No Prospects For Peace Plan To End Ukraine Conflict, Says Russia's Vladimir Putin

Russia-Ukraine Conflict: The Russian military on Monday said that it had killed five 'saboteurs' who crossed from Ukrainian territory.

Ukrainian army tanks during drills in eastern Ukraine (Reuters)

New Delhi: With the world on edge over Russia's possible invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday he no longer felt that the 2015 peace accord agreed with France, Germany and Kyiv would be able to resolve Ukraine's separatist conflict.

"We understand that there are no prospects for the implementation of the 2015 Minsk peace accords, agreed in the capital of Belarus to end fighting between Ukraine's army and pro-Moscow rebels in the east of the country," Putin told his security council, AFP reported.

The Minsk agreements are a series of military and political steps to secure a ceasefire between the Ukrainian government and Russia-backed separatists.

READ | Russian Army Says It Killed 5 'Saboteurs' From Ukraine On Its Territory

Putin's remarks come after the Russian military said on Monday that it had killed five "saboteurs" who crossed from Ukrainian territory. Ukraine has, however, denied the claims made by Russia. 

"As a result of clashes, five people who violated the Russian border from a group of saboteurs were killed," the military said in a statement, AFP reported.

Tanks, trucks and artillery have been spotted just two and a half miles from Ukrainian territory in Russia's Belgorod region as per new satellite images, a report in The Daily Mail said.

Earlier in the day, Russia claimed that Ukrainian forces had shelled a border post. Ukraine dismissed the Russian claim as "fake" news.

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) alleged that a projectile fired from Ukraine had destroyed a border facility used by its guards, AFP reported.

The United States has on several occassions claimed that Moscow was trying to justify a planned invasion by planting fake stories of Ukrainian aggression.

Western powers have threatened a crippling sanctions package if Russia invades Ukraine.

(With inputs from agencies)