Military provocations by Russia against the Ukraine must "cease" a bloc of the world's leading economies known as the G7 said Tuesday, issuing a stern warning for Moscow to halt a military buildup on the border.

Ministers from the Group of Seven and top diplomats from member countries said they were "deeply concerned" about Russia's recent military actions in Ukraine and the Crimea.

"These large-scale troop movements, without prior notification, represent threatening and destabilizing activities," the intergovernmental organization said in a statement.

Ukraine said Tuesday that at least one more of its servicemen were killed by Russian soldiers. This brings the total number of Ukrainian soldiers killed to 28 this year.

Russia denied that it had sent troops to Ukraine's border and insisted that it was not looking for war.

Russia was previously expelled from attending G7 meetings, then known as the G8, after it was found guilty of breaking international law after it seized Crimea from Ukraine in February 2014. Russia later annexed Crimea through a referendum that was widely rejected by the international community.

Since it seized Crimea, conflict in the region has continued between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian. Human rights groups estimate that at least 14,000 people have died in the conflict, which has been ongoing for the past seven years.

According to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Russia has been building up its military presence at its border with Ukraine since the start of this month. Russian officials said that the buildup was due to Ukraine's "provocations."

Russian officials accused Ukraine of attempting to escalate the conflict. The OSCE said Russia's actions were not a result of any provocation on Ukraine's part.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reportedly requested a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the issue. His office has reportedly not yet received any response.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that his office had not received any request for talks "in recent days."