ZOLOTE, Ukraine

Anadolu Agency on Thursday visited the frontline Zolote region in eastern Ukraine.

Zolote has been a flashpoint since 2014 armed clashes between Ukrainian troops and Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region.

Ukrainian troops stationed in the Zolote frontline were seen vigilant and they continued to monitor and patrol the area under harsh winter conditions.

Amid heightened tensions between Russia and the West, eyes have once again turned to the Russian-Ukrainian border and frontline territories.

While diplomatic efforts continue to de-escalate the tension, the world carefully monitors military activities along the border.

Russia is accused of having amassed more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine's border, a move that has prompted concerns by the West that Moscow could be planning another military offensive against its ex-Soviet neighbor. The Kremlin has denied Western accusations of a looming invasion, saying its forces are there for exercises.

In February 2014, Russian forces entered the Crimean Peninsula, with President Vladimir Putin formally dividing the region into two separate federal subjects of the Russian Federation the following month.

Turkiye and the US as well as the UN General Assembly view the annexation as illegal.

According to the UN, fighting between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine's Donbass region has seen more than 13,000 people killed since 2014.

The region is one of several sources of friction between Russia and Ukraine.

* Writing by Ahmet Gencturk in Ankara.