KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine accused Russia yesterday of conducting a large military build-up near the countries’ border that raises the threat of an invasion, but Moscow denied that.

Andriy Parubiy, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, told reporters in Kiev that Russia has deployed more than 80,000 troops, up to 270 tanks and 140 combat planes close to the border, creating the “threat of a full-scale invasion from various directions”.

Parubiy said Russian troops are based in the immediate vicinity of the Ukrainian border, some of them as close as a two- or three-hour drive from Kiev, the Ukrainian capital.

In Moscow, Deputy Defence Minister Anatoly Antonov denied a military build-up on the nearly 2,000-kilometre (1,250-mile) border.

He also said Moscow has accepted a request that Ukraine made to conduct a surveillance flight over Russian territory.

Antonov said that while Russia was not obliged to allow such a flight, it decided to issue permission for one so that Ukraine can see for itself that “Russian armed forces aren’t conducting any military activities near the border of Ukraine that could threaten its security”.

Russian forces have secured control over Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, and Russia’s parliament has given President Vladimir Putin permission to use the military to protect Russian speakers in Ukraine.

Crimea plans to hold a referendum on Sunday that will ask residents if they want the territory to become part of Russia. Ukraine’s Government and Western nations have denounced the referendum as illegitimate and warned Russia against trying to annex Crimea.

Parubiy said Russia could try to seize government buildings in eastern regions of Ukraine and demand a referendum there. He said such plans have been thwarted, thanks to efforts of Ukrainian law enforcement agencies.