A Russian invasion of Ukraine is “very, very imminent if not inevitable”, the UK’s Armed Forces minister warned today.
James Heappey said it could happen at “any moment” after the US and UK declared more Russian troops had massed near the border, despite Kremlin claims of withdrawal.
Mr Heappey said war was not necessarily inevitable, but he was “very worried” by fresh images showing a new bridge and a large field hospital being built near the border.
He told ITV's Good Morning Britain: "Formations are shaking out into their attack positions.
"So it could happen today, tomorrow, it could happen next Wednesday, it could happen in two weeks’ time.
“But the fact is that it is very, very imminent - if not inevitable.
“And that is why diplomacy needs to continue at top speed in order to try and avert what could be utterly catastrophic."
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Moscow is attempting “false flag operations” after reports emerged of shelling in the eastern Ukrainian region of the Donbass.
He told a press conference at NATO HQ in Brussels: “We are concerned that Russia is trying to stage a pretext for an armed attack against Ukraine.”
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who gives a speech in Kyiv later, warned the crisis could go on for months.
“There is currently no evidence the Russians are withdrawing from border regions near Ukraine,” she wrote in the Telegraph.
“Russia could drag this out much longer in a brazen ploy to spend weeks more - if not months - subverting Ukraine and challenging Western unity.”
Mr Heappey warned conditions for a Russian invasion of Ukraine “are completely set now” and blasted a Kremlin “disinformation campaign” he claimed was pretending Russian troops were pulling back from the border.
Instead, he said: “Preparations continue at pace.”
Up to 7,000 more Russian troops have been sent to Ukraine’s borders - scotching claims the Kremlin was pulling back forces, US intelligence suggests.
An American official said Kremlin claims they were withdrawing were “false”.
Asked if believed “thousands more are moving towards the border”, Mr Heappey said: “Absolutely.”
He added: “All of the conditions are set, and from the moment President Putin takes a decision, it is literally just a matter of minutes before military effect could be felt in Ukrainian cities.
“That’s different however to inevitability. I have a gut feeling because I’m seeing what I’m seeing, and I don’t think you spend that amount of money in putting that number of troops and planes and ships into an area unless you mean it.
"But I have hope that a diplomatic process can succeed, because the consequences of that not being the case are that tens of thousands of people could die.”
One of Russia’s top envoys accused the West of “hysteria” over fears of an invasion. Russia's Deputy UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy told ITV : "This is a very ridiculous situation, there has been hysteria, even hype, fanned for several weeks by our Western colleagues.
“They convinced each other and the whole world that Russia was about to invade, they were even naming concrete dates.
“So it happened in their minds, in their heads - we're not responsible for what's happening in their minds.”
NATO defence ministers continue crisis talks at the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels.
Ukraine's Ambassador to the UK Vadym Prystaiko vowed to plough on with attempts to join NATO. "At least until NATO is here, we will try to get into the alliance,” he said.
“Our security is provided by one mechanism which we found nothing better than NATO in our part of the globe.”
In a rare public statement Lieutenant General Sir Jim Hockenhull, the Chief of Defence Intelligence, said: "Contrary to their claims, Russia continues to build up military capabilities near Ukraine.
"This includes sightings of additional armoured vehicles, helicopters and a field hospital moving towards Ukraine's borders. Russia has the military mass in place to conduct an invasion of Ukraine."
Meanwhile, so-called "golden visas" for wealthy foreign investors are expected to be scrapped by the Government amid concerns over links between Russia and the UK.
Those eligible for the tier one investor visa, launched in 2008, must have at least £2 million in investment funds and have a UK bank account.
It has been under review due to repeated concerns that the system could be exploited because not enough background checks are made on applicants.
Sources confirmed the scheme will be abandoned in an announcement to be made next week.
Lib Dem Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Layla Moran said: “The Conservatives have turned a blind eye to Russian interference in this country for years and had an open door policy to Kremlin cronies.
“Cancelling the scheme is long overdue, it shouldn't have taken the threat of a defeat in Parliament to finally get this Government to act.”
