BORIS Johnson will chair an emergency COBRA meeting today as the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine becomes “grave”.
Downing St confirmed the PM will also cut short his “levelling up road trip” to return for crisis talks tomorrow.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss will lead a COBRA meeting today while her boss continues his tour of Scotland and the North.
Brits have been issued a final warning to get out of Ukraine as Russia could start to invade in the next 48 hours.
It is feared that bombs and missiles will rain down on cities – including the capital Kiev – within minutes of Vladimir Putin sending the order.
UK armed forces minister James Heappey has warned there will be no chance of an Afghanistan-style airlift out for stranded civilians should war erupt this week.
The world sits on a knife edge as US intelligence fear Russia’s full-scale invasion could begin as early as Wednesday.
Mr Heappey issued the chilling warning as he said “all the conditions are set for Russian to launch an attack” and it “could happen with no notice”.
Mr Heappey said: “This isn’t a warning about something that could happen in three months’ time.
“This isn’t a warning that would be followed by further warnings.
“This is a warning because minutes after Putin gives the order missiles and bombs could be landing on Ukrainian cities.”
Russia has long been accused of wanting to takeover Ukraine – and tensions have rumbled ever since Putin seized Crimea in 2014.
Ukraine has called for calm and Russia denies any aggressive intentions.
But the West believe the world could be days away from the biggest conflict in Europe since World War 2.
UK and US intelligence says the Kremlin has now moved the last military units into place needed for a full scale invasion.
Spooks believe Moscow is likely to launch a false flag operation, such as a fake attack on Russian citizens, to justify a war.
Mr Heappey said any British citizens left in the country after a war starts may not be able to escape.
There would be no chance for the UK, US, and other Western countries to mount an Afghanistan-style rescue operation.
That’s because advanced Russian weapons like heavy artillery and fighter jets would make the skies above Ukraine too dangerous.
He said: “Even if that was something that we wanted to do, the reality is that we just couldn’t.
“What you end up with a highly contested complex airspace that just makes it impossible to mount that sort of rescue effort.”
His stark warning comes with Boris Johnson this week launching a fresh diplomatic blitz to try and avert a war.
The PM will hold a series of calls with world leaders and travel to Europe later this week as he urges Vladimir Putin to “step back from the brink”.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace – who yesterday cut short a family holiday because of the Ukraine crisis – will attend a meeting of Nato Defence Ministers in Brussels in the coming days.
Russia has amassed a terrifying force of 130,000 troops at the Ukraine border and is thought to be planning to invade any day now.
As tensions flare, the West is expected to announce a new package of economic and defensive support for Ukraine within days.
Issuing their starkest warning yet, a Downing Street spokesman said: “The crisis on Ukraine’s border has reached a critical juncture.
“All the information we have suggests Russia could be planning an invasion of Ukraine at any moment.
“This would have disastrous consequences for both Ukraine and Russia.
“There is still a window of opportunity for de-escalation and diplomacy, and the Prime Minister will continue to work tirelessly alongside our allies to get Russia to step back from the brink.”
As Europe teeters on the brink of war, the PM has vowed to do everything he can to stop a Russian invasion.
Britain is arming Ukranians and has threatened Moscow with crippling economic sanctions if one Russian toe cap crosses the border.
The UK military is massively beefing up its troop presence in neighbouring Nato countries like Estonia, and has sent two ships to the Eastern Med and Black Sea.
We now have an entire RAF squadron on standby ready to police the skies in Nato’s South East corner.
Mr Johnson, who is receiving daily intelligence briefings on the crisis, is keen to work with the Nordic and Baltic countries on Russia’s border.
He wants to show Putin that he faces a wall of opposition if he sends troops over the border.
