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Terrifying prediction if Russia invades Ukraine: 'Fall within days'

Scott Morrison has urged Australians in Ukraine to leave the country amid fears Russia is preparing to launch an invasion.

Russia continues to deny planning an attack, however, Mr Morrison remains "highly concerned" about the situation, with over 100,000 Russian troops reportedly on Ukraine’s borders.

"We hold out real concerns about where this will ultimately lead to," he told reporters on Monday.

Scott Morrison told reporters on Monday he is urging Australians to leave the Ukraine over fears of a Russian invasion.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has urged Australians to leave Ukraine as Russia appears to gear up for an invasion. Source: Getty

The warning comes as US officials reveal a dire prediction if war were to break out, say if Russia were to invade the capital of Kyiv, it could fall within a couple of days and at an “enormous human cost".

NBC foreign correspondent Richard Engel said Ukraine could suffer 5,000 to 25,000 took casualties and 25,000 to 50,000 civilian casualties.

US President Joe Biden’s national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, said the US and Nato are preparing for an invasion at any moment.

“If war breaks out, it will come at an enormous human cost to Ukraine, but we believe that based on our preparations and our response, it will come at a strategic cost to Russia as well,” Mr Sullivan said, according to Associated Press.

On Saturday, US officials said Russia —which seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 —has 70 per cent of the combat power it believes it would need for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Dual citizens contacted by the Australian government

Australia has attempted to contact all Australians in Ukraine, many of whom are dual citizens, and urged them to leave.

"We reinforce that message. The travel advisories are very clear," Mr Morrison said.

"The vast majority of those Australians who live in Ukraine, their lives are in the Ukraine. Many of them have dual citizenships. Their families are there or in neighbouring countries, particularly in Poland.

"They'll be looking to their own arrangements, as we understand it."

A satellite image showing the Russian military build-up in Belarus. Source: Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS
A satellite image showing the Russian military build-up in Belarus. Source: Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS

Satellite images show troops buildup at Ukraine Belarus border

On Sunday (local time), a private US company Maxar Technologies published satellite images showing details of military maneuvers at the Belarus border with Ukraine ahead of joint drills announced by Moscow and Minsk that NATO has called the biggest deployment to Belarus since the Cold War.

The images showed that military units armed with missiles, multiple rocket launchers and attack aircrafts had deployed to Belarus at three locations close to the border with Ukraine.

Russia and Belarus have said they will hold joint exercises called Union Resolve 2022 on February 10-20 aimed at training to repel an attack on southern borders of their alliance, and Russia has given some details of missiles and warplanes it is sending for the event.

with AAP and Reuters

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