Bombs Could Hit Ukraine With 'No Notice' Once Putin Gives Order, Britain’s Armed Forces Minister Warns

Britain’s armed forces minister has claimed bombs could hit Ukraine with 'no notice' if Russian president Vladimir Putin decides to invade.

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.

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'.

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.