now more than 127,000 russian troops poised to invade. including russian infantry units seen here practicing urban warfare. the kind that may play a major role if any potentially messy incursion into ukraine is ever ordered. sources in rebel-controlled eastern areas of the country tell cnn training has also been ramped up there. with a significant increase of rebel fighters and heavy weaponry on the front lines. the new ukrainian intelligence assessment says russia supports more than 35,000 rebels. and has about 3,000 of his own military based in rebel territory. moscow denies having any forces there and continues to insist it has no plans either to invade. translator: we do not threaten anyone, but we hear threats against us. i hope all of this only reflects
reporter: a short flight from a mortar bomb from rebel territory. after eight years of war so close to the front line, homes here are almost worth lless. these houses have been torn down and sold as recycled bricks and tiles, these houses sell for about $70. this is the end of this street. now, just down there is the check point and beyond that is rebel held territory. in the last hour or so, we ve heard at least eight explosions. lily is 3. she s out amid the shelling with her mom lending a hand, playing with the family pup through a gate riddled with shrarapnel hos
rebel territory, after eight years of war so close to the front line, homes here are almost worthless. these houses haven t been smashed by war, they ve been destroyed by the poverty conflict brings. torn down and sold as recycled bricks and tielts, locals tell us these houses sell for about 70 bucks. this is the end of the street. just down there is the checkpoint. beyond that is rebel-held territory. in the last hour or so, we ve heard at least eight explosions. lilly is three. she s out amid the shelling with her mom lending a hand, playing with the family dog through a gate. her parents tell us the latest barrage is thunder, but it is something to worry about.
individuals, none of them small children, we understand but cnn has confirmed this happened in ukrainian held territory fired from the russian-backed rebel territory. the reason is considered the potential provocation, of course, that the ukrainians fired back. now, had the ukrainians hit a target that had resulted in spectacular civilian death, for example, catastrophic epically though that would have been, it would have also been oipotentiay the sort of provocation the russians are seeking as an excuse to go to war. they re expected, as kylie is reporting there, kate, to start throwing allegations of genocide around, a term used last week or the last few days by vladimir putin with reference to the plight of russian-speaking people in the east of the country. that term has been rejected roundly around the world. it s complete, there s no evidence, not a shred of evidence for it but it is always the case that the russians
garage. nadia, another neighbor, said the full shells landed the day roman died. she and her son who is 50, a former ukrainian marine, fear a kremlin-driven escalation could result in an unthinkable tragedy. he lives in rebel territory and he may be conscripted into the army any time. this is the fifth day of heavy shelling in the area. the threat of a full-scale russian invasion hangs over roman s funeral. but disaster is what this front line town has learned to live with. and is this? what the rest of ukraine may also soon learn to ignore.