Russia could invade any day now, says Ukraine President Zelensky

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Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russia could start a "major war in Europe" and invade the country "any day now" while urging Russian citizens to stand against it.

Zelensky said nearly Russian 200,000 soldiers were deployed along Ukraine's border including thousands of combat vehicles.

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"Who can stop the war people. These people are among you, I am sure," Zelensky said appealing to the Russian people to stop Putin's regime.

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The Ukraine president added that he had tried to reach out to Putin but there was "only silence". Zelensky added that Ukraine needs "security guarantees" and that Russia should be among countries to give "clear security guarantees."

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Meanwhile, separatist leaders of Donetsk and Lugansk in a letter to Putin asked for help to "repel Ukraine's aggression".Putin had earlier this week recognised the regions as republics amid large scale condemnation by the West including the UN. The Russian president had signed friendship treaties with the two regions including defence deals.

Reports claim shelling in the separatist region has increased in the past few days as another Ukrainian soldier was killed on Wednesday even as a power plant was hit in eastern Ukraine.

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In a move which further alarmed the European neighbours, Russian lawmakers gave Putin's regime permission to use force abroad. The US has been saying for the past month that over 100,000 Russian troops have amassed at the border.

However, Russia has repeatedly denied it wants to invade Ukraine however Putin's decision to move troops to the two breakaway regions has escalated tensions in the region as Ukraine urged its citizens to leave Russia.

Russia's moves come even as the US, Britain, EU and Australia announced sanctions. Amid soaring tensions, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said "our world is facing a moment of peril, the world could see a scale and severity of need unseen for many years."

(With inputs from Agencies)