At the Powidz base in Poland, US soldiers said they hoped the growing US presence in a key NATO ally bordering Ukraine would reassure the region as a whole amid security tensions with Russia.

The base is a key logistics hub for the US deployment in Poland, which has more than doubled in recent days to around 9,000 troops in response to Moscow's military build-up around Ukraine.

"What we are focused on is assuring our allies and partners in the region that the US is here," Lieutenant General John Kolasheski said on the sidelines of a visit to the base by the US and Polish defence ministers on Friday.

Kolasheski said US troops were training "to build the collective readiness of our units as well as their units and also demonstrating that we're able to be interoperative" with Polish forces.

At the base, which hosts around 1,000 US soldiers, armoured vehicles were on display inside a giant hangar for US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak.

On the airstrip, there were three Ospreys -- a type of military aircraft with vertical take-off and landing often used by US special forces.

Poland normally hosts around 4,000 US troops on a rotational basis, including as part of a US-led NATO battle group sent to the region following Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.

US President Joe Biden has dispatched 4,700 more troops in response to the current situation.

Russia has criticised this additional US military presence and has called for NATO's "enhanced forward presence" in Poland and the Baltic states -- all once ruled by Moscow -- to be rolled back.

- 'Growing sense of insecurity' -

At a news conference earlier on Friday in Warsaw, Blaszczak thanked Austin for sending extra troops.

"The support of the United States at this difficult time is a sign of responsibility and iron-clad commitment to the security of Poland and Europe," he said, warning against the "imperialistic policy of the Russian Federation".

Austin said the troops were "prepared to respond to a range of contingency", including for the evacuation of US citizens from Ukraine if needed.

"Poland knows first hand the steep cost paid by victims of aggression from larger neighbours," Austin said.

Greg Lewicki, an international relations expert from the Jagiellonian Club, a think-tank, said the additional US troops were a "very welcome" response to "a growing sense of insecurity" in Central and Eastern Europe in recent years.

"This growing sense of insecurity has been downplayed and even ridiculed by some western European countries," he said.

He pointed in particular to politicians in France and Germany who he said were "depicting Central and Eastern Europe as Russophobe", adding that the current situations "shows we were right all along".

In Powidz, which among other things helps supply food and fuel for US troops in Poland, the recent reinforcements have meant some extra work but soldiers are taking it in their stride.

"Our troops are committed. They love the mission here," said Sergeant Major Raymond Harris.

"They really enjoy working with our NATO partners and allies, building those relationships."

Ukraine, Russian-backed rebels accuse each other of fresh attacks
Kyiv (AFP) Feb 19, 2022 - Ukraine's armed forces accused Moscow-backed rebels on Saturday of launching a huge new wave of attacks that have intensified fears of a Russian invasion of its western neighbour.

The joint military command for east Ukraine reported 66 exchanges of fire by 7:00 am (0400 GMT) -- a high number compared to recent stages of the conflict -- while the rebels called the situation "critical".

The statement said the rebels had resorted to using banned 82 and 120 millimetre-calibre mortar shells in towns across the front running in the eastern regions of Lugansk and Donetsk.

"There have been no losses among members of the armed forces as a result of the enemy's attacks," it said.

"The armed forces control the situation and continue to perform their mission to rebuff and contain the armed aggression of the Russian Federation."

Moscow formally denies being involved in the conflict and calls it Ukrainian internal affairs.

But monitors from the OSCE European security body have reported regular shipments of Russian weapons across the border throughout the eight-year war.

The OSCE reported a massive 870 ceasefire violations across the conflict zone in its latest report Friday, which referred to incidents on Thursday.

"In recent days, the OSCE Special Monitoring to Ukraine (SMM) has observed a dramatic increase in kinetic activity along the contact line in eastern Ukraine," the OSCE said in a statement.

Rebel leaders accuse the Ukrainian armed forces of trying to retake their two separatist regions by force -- a claim Kyiv denies.

The rebel leadership in Donetsk on Saturday called the situation "critical" and announced a "general mobilisation".

Th leader in the smaller separatist Lugansk region did the same about an hour later.

Ukraine rebel leaders announce 'general mobilisation'
Moscow (AFP) Feb 19, 2022 - The leaders of Ukraine's two breakaway regions announced a general mobilisation Saturday, spurring fears of a further escalation in fighting in the ex-Soviet country.

The announcements came after observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe reported a significant rise in attacks on the frontline in parts of eastern Ukraine controlled by pro-Russian rebels.

The two sides accused each other Saturday morning of fresh attacks.

"I urge my fellow citizens who are in the reserves to come to military conscription offices. Today I signed a decree on general mobilisation," Denis Pushilin, the leader of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic, said in a video statement.

The leader of the Lugansk separatist region, Leonid Pasechnik, meanwhile published a decree saying the measure in his region was signed to prepare for "repelling aggression".

Western leaders have for weeks raised the alarm over a build up of Moscow's army around Ukraine with Washington warning that an imminent attack could take place.

Pushilin claimed his region's forces had prevented attacks he said were planned by Ukraine security services, and that the Ukrainian army had continued attacks.

"Together, we will achieve for all of us the victory we desire and need. We will protect Donbas and all Russian people," Pushilin added, using the term for eastern Ukraine.

Kyiv has repeatedly denied any plans to regain control of separatist-held areas using force or of the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed by Moscow in 2014.

More than 14,000 people have been killed in fighting between Ukraine's army and Moscow-supported separatists since fighting broke out in 2014.

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