The conflict in Ukraine escalated to another level on Thursday when Russia announced it would be ramping up military exercises after the Kiev government confirmed that its forces were responsible for killing five pro-Russian militants.

The violence stemmed from Ukraine's efforts to drive out the relentless Russian militants and their roadblocks. A Ukrainian solder was injured after pro-Russians attacked the town of Artemivsk.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has faced intense criticism internationally ever since annexing the Crimea region, framed the turn of events this week by placing the blame on the Ukraine.

"If, in fact, the Kiev regime has started to use the armed forces against people inside the country, then, with no doubt, it is a serious crime against their own nation," he said, all while he has continued to shrug off western demands to calm the tensions in the region.

Russian defense minster Sergei Shoigu said that the Russian military exercises would consist of activities on both the ground and in the air.

"The starting gun on the use of weapons against their own civilians has already been fired," Shoigu said, according to the New York Times. "If today this military machine is not stopped, it will lead to a large number of the dead and wounded. We have to react to such developments."

Meanwhile, Putin has remained at odds with his western counterparts, who have grown even more impatient after Moscow has failed to keep its word following an international agreement to ease tensions.

"So far we have seen them not abide by the spirit or the letter of the agreement in Geneva," United States President Barack Obama said in Japan this week, adding that "there will be further consequences and we will ramp up further sanctions."