Russia says Ukraine troop rotation won't help peace

Ukrainian servicemen sit atop armoured personnel carriers (APC) during a ceremony to hand over weapons, military equipment and aircrafts to the army at a firing range outside Zhytomyr January 5, 2015. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian is concerned that a rotation by Kiev of front-line forces in eastern Ukraine could undermine peace efforts, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday.

"Any action related to military preparations does not help the process," Lavrov told a news conference. "We will hope that all this... does not lead to a renewed military confrontation."