Britain’s armed forces minister has claimed bombs could hit Ukraine with 'no notice' if Russian president Vladimir Putin decides to invade.
Minister James Heappey's comments come as Russia continues to build up its presence on the Ukraine border, with British officials estimating this week that a further 14 battalions are making their way towards the country.
Prime minister Boris Johnson has warned the situation had become 'very, very dangerous', and on Friday, February 11, Heappey told any Britons in Ukraine to leave immediately.
Speaking to Sky News, the armed forces minister expressed fears that an invasion could be 'very imminent', though noted 'that's not to say it's definitely going to happen'.
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He continued: 'This is a warning because minutes after Putin gives the order, missiles and bombs could be landing on Ukrainian cities.'
Heappey explained the UK was urging Britons in Ukraine to leave the country because officials have 'seen now that there’s 130,000 combat troops around Ukraine’s land borders'.
'There’s thousands more on amphibious shipping in the Black Sea. Russia has concentrated artillery missile systems and combat air in the area', he continued.
'And, perhaps more ominously, although it grabs less headlines, all of the combat enablers, the logistics, the fuel, the medical supplies, the bridging assets, are all also now in place. So, the reason that the travel advice changed on Friday and the urgency of the messaging since is that the attack could effectively now happen with no notice.’
The UK is set to support Ukraine throughout the events whether it wants to become a member of NATO or not, Heappey said, with Johnson planning to travel to Europe later this week as part of diplomatic efforts to prevent Putin from launching an invasion.
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Speaking to reporters during a recent visit to Scotland, the prime minister said the situation was 'very, very dangerous and difficult' and claimed 'we are on the edge of a precipice', but there is 'still time for President Putin to step back'.
Per BBC News, Johnson added: 'What we are urging is for everybody to engage in dialogue, for a conversation to take place and for the Russians to avoid what I think everybody, certainly everybody in the UK, would consider to be a disastrous mistake.'
Alongside Johnson's discussions in Europe, defence secretary Ben Wallace and foreign secretary Liz Truss are expected to take part in meetings with international counterparts to discuss the developing situation.
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Topics: World News, Russia, Vladimir Putin, Boris Johnson, UK News