Explosions heard in rebel-held city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, UK minister says invasion ‘very imminent’

DONETSK, Ukraine, Feb 20 (Reuters) – Multiple explosions were heard on Sunday in the centre of the separatist-held city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, a Reuters witness said.

A loudspeaker in the area asked citizens to exercise caution. The origin of the explosions was not clear.

A Russian invasion of Ukraine now seems “far more likely than unlikely” and all the signs suggest it is “very, very imminent”, Britain’s minister for Europe said on Sunday.

“Unfortunately, at the moment, an attack, an invasion seems far more likely than unlikely but we will continue to work to try and avert that,” James Cleverly told Sky News.

“Everything that we see indicates that invasion is very, very, highly likely and very, very imminent.”

Photo – A handout still image taken from a handout video made available by the Russian Defence Ministry’s Press Service shows Russian and Belarusian tanks taking part in the joint operational exercise ‘Union Courage-2022’ of the armed forces of Belarus and Russia, at a firing range in the Brest region of Belarus. EPA-EFE/RUSSIAN DEFENCE MINISTRY PRESS SERVICE HANDOUT