Russia has been accused by the UK of orchestrating “false flag” attacks in Ukraine after a pro-Russian attack on a Ukraine nursery.

The claims by Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss came as tensions continued to mount between Russian-backed separatists and state forces in east Ukraine, with shells hitting a kindergarten in Stanytsia Luhanska.

Two civilians were wounded in the attack, according to the Ukrainian military.

Western allies fear Russia will carry out or support attacks in Ukraine which it will then falsely blame on the Kyiv government in order to justify an invasion.

“We fear very much that that is the kind of thing we will see more of over the next few days," the Prime Minister warned.

Bournemouth Echo: People attend a Divine Litugy service at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family, in London, which included prayers for people in Ukraine. Photo via PA.People attend a Divine Litugy service at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family, in London, which included prayers for people in Ukraine. Photo via PA.

Stanytsia Luhanska kindergarten attack

Speaking about the latest developments from Ukraine on a visit to RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, the Prime Minister said: “I wish I could give everybody better news about this, but I have to tell you that the picture is continuing to be very grim.

“Today, as I’m sure you’ve already picked up, a kindergarten was shelled in what we are taking to be – well, we know – was a false flag operation designed to discredit the Ukrainians, designed to create a pretext, a spurious provocation for Russian action.

“What we are doing is making that we do everything to strengthen the package of sanctions that will follow immediately should there be a Russian invasion.”

Meanwhile Ms Truss said reports alleging “abnormal military activity” by Ukraine in the eastern Donbas region were a “blatant” attempt by the Kremlin to fabricate a reason for an invasion.

Ms Truss, who is in Ukraine, said she was very concerned about the exchanges of fire in Donbas and the continued build-up of Russian troops.

Separatist authorities in the Luhansk region claimed there had been an increase in Ukrainian shelling along the tense line of contact, describing it as a “large-scale provocation” and that they then returned fire.

The Kyiv government disputed the claim, saying separatists had shelled its forces but they did not fire back.

The Prime Minister is heading to the European Security Conference in Munich at the weekend to discuss how "to unify the West".

Despite Russia claiming to be pulling units back to base following the conclusion of military exercises, the UK and US have claimed that thousands more troops have been deployed, along with supporting assets such as field hospitals and new bridges.

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Continuing to talk about the situation in Ukraine, Boris Johnson told reporters: “What we’ve got to do, and I’ve said this before, is we’ve got to end the dependence of the West, and Europeans in particular, on Russian hydrocarbons.

“We can’t be blackmailed this way by Vladimir Putin – we’ve got to end that.

“I just want to say one thing finally about what’s happening in Ukraine – there is still time for the Putin regime to step back.

“There is still time to avoid a catastrophe, a catastrophe for Russia, a catastrophe for Ukraine and for the world.

“If Russia were so mad as to invade, I don’t think people should imagine that this would be a brief business.

“This would be a bloody and protracted conflict in which, I’m afraid, there will be many casualties and including many Russian casualties. I just hope that people in Russia can see that.”