Russia has 9,000 troops in Ukraine, Poroshenko tells Davos forum

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko addresses The Future of Ukraine event in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos January 21, 2015. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich

DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko accused Russia on Wednesday of sending 9,000 troops to back separatist rebels in the east of his country, and the IMF chief said she backed extra financial help for Kiev as the conflict inflicts severe economic damage.

Moscow challenged Poroshenko to present facts to prove his allegations. However, he won support from NATO, which said the amount of heavy military equipment used by Russian troops in eastern Ukraine had increased, and the alliance repeated its call for the forces to withdraw.