Ukraine did nothing to justify the evacuations ordered yesterday by separatists in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Germany’s foreign minister Anna Baerbock said.

Russia-backed rebel leaders said they were evacuating women, children and the elderly to Russia to protect against Ukrainian bombing as violence spreads in the Donbass.

Western leaders said the rebel leaders were to blame for recent bombings and Russia would use accusations against Ukraine as a false flag to justify an invasion.

Ms Baerbock, addressing the Munich Security Conference, said Ukraine had not done anything that would justify evacuations.

Boris Johnson has said Europe is at “a very dangerous moment” and stands on “the brink” of a possible war with Russia.

In a speech at the Munich security conference on Saturday the prime minister said an invasion of Ukraine from the east would bring about the “destruction of a democratic state”.

He warning that the world was at “the eleventh hour” to avert a conflict and said any invasion would ring out like “a shot” around the world and encourage other countries to resort to military aggression.

“This is a very dangerous moment in our history. We stand on the brink of what could be a war in Europe,” Mr Johnson said during a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart ahead of his speech.

“I think it would be an absolute disaster be disaster for Europe, a disaster for Ukraine, and a disaster, certainly for Russia, if there were to be an invasion.

The separatist leader of Luhansk has ordered a full military mobilisation, shortly after his counterpart in neighbouring Donetsk did the same.

The Donbass, Ukraine’s easternmost region that is mostly comprised of the two rebel areas, has seen a spike in violence this week in what the West fears is a “false flag” to provide pretext for Russia to invade Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin has started strategic nuclear missile exercises, the Kremlin said.

The Russian military announced yesterday that the president would personally oversee multiple practice launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles and cruise missiles.

The ministry claimed it planned the manoeuvres some time ago to check the readiness of Russia’s military command and personnel, as well as the reliability of its nuclear and conventional weapons.

The tests are a stark reminder of Russia’s nuclear might at a time when the West fears Moscow is planning to invade Ukraine.

Joe Biden said US intelligence suggests Russia will invade in the coming week but he does not believe that Mr Putin is even remotely considering using nuclear weapons.

Moscow is confronting Nato with demands it knows the alliance cannot meet, Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said.

“The danger is now the combination of this massive military build-up with the very threatening rhetoric, putting forward demands they know we cannot meet and say: If we don't meet them, there will be military consequences,” Mr Stoltenberg told the Munich Security Conference.

“This is a new normal, that we have a Russia which is openly contesting core values for European security and then demonstrating their will to use force or the threat of force to get their will,” he added.

Russia has issued several security proposals to the West. A veto on Ukraine’s entry to Nato the most significant among them.

The US and EU have declined the proposals.

Multiple explosions have been heard in the rebel-held Ukrainian city of Donetsk.

A witness told Reuters they several explosions could be heard in the north of the city on Saturday morning.

It was not clear what caused the explosions. There was no immediate comment from separatists or Ukraine authorities.

The Russia-backed separatist leader of Donetsk, Denis Pushilin, earlier ordered a full mobilisation of rebel troops in the region.

Violence has flared up in recent days in Donetsk and neighbouring Luhansk, the easternmost regions of Ukraine, with several instances of shelling.

Multiple explosions have been heard in the north of Donetsk, Reuters witnesses report.

It is not clear what caused the explosions. There was no immediate comment from separatists or Ukraine authorities.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed he will leave Kiev to attend the Munich Security Conference today despite fears that Russia might invade in his absence.

Mr Zelensky’s trip to Germany had been under scrutiny due to concern in Western countries that Russia would take the opportunity to launch an attack while the president was out of the country.

The Munich gathering has been used in recent years by both US and Russian leaders to deliver pivotal messages before an important audience.

At last year's conference, held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic, new president Joe Biden declared “America's back” after the Trump years in an address that touched on economic and security concerns driven by adversaries Russia and China.

Today, US vice president Kamala Harris is expected to use her speech in Munich to warn Russia that it will face huge financial costs if it further invades Ukraine, while underscoring that an invasion will only draw European allies closer to the United States.

President’s address last night