NATO sees alarming build-up of Russian forces near Ukraine: Rasmussen

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Friday the alliance had observed an alarming build-up of Russian ground and air forces in the vicinity of Ukraine. "We have also seen transfers of large quantities of advanced weapons, including tanks, armored personnel carriers and artillery to separatist groups in eastern Ukraine," Rasmussen said in a statement. Rasmussen said Russia continued to escalate the crisis in eastern Ukraine and that this could lead to further isolation of Moscow. (Reporting by Martin Santa and Julia Fioretti; Editing by Andrew Heavens)