The Russian invasion of Ukraine has begun, says UK minister

Russia has begun its invasion of Ukraine, according to cabinet minister Sajid Javid.

Mr Javid said the Government will now start its sanctions of the Putin regime in Moscow.

"You can conclude that the invasion of Ukraine has begun," Javid told Sky News.

Boris Johnson is leading a crisis meeting of ministers and senior officials to consider the response to Vladimir Putin’s actions in Ukraine.

The Government is preparing to slap sanctions on key Russian figures and businesses after President Putin recognised two breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine as independent states.

At the 6.30am meeting of the Cobra committee the Prime Minister was briefed on the latest intelligence after Mr Putin ordered his troops to carry out “peacekeeping” duty in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

The Cobra meeting follows an emergency session of the UN Security Council, where the UK’s ambassador Dame Barbara Woodward said Russia has “brought us to the brink”, warning that the country’s actions “will have severe and far-reaching consequences”.

She said an invasion would unleash “the forces of war, death and destruction” on the people of Ukraine.

“The humanitarian impact will be terrible on civilians fleeing the fighting. We know that women and children will suffer most.”

She said the Security Council must be united in calling on Russia to “de-escalate immediately”, as well as “condemning aggression against a sovereign nation and defending the territorial integrity of Ukraine”.

“Russia has brought us to the brink,” she said. “We urge Russia to step back.”

The Kremlin said Russian forces will “maintain peace” in eastern Ukraine.

Mr Johnson said the decision from Mr Putin to recognise Donetsk and Luhansk was an “ill omen” and a flagrant breach of international