Fears Russia will unleash ‘indiscriminate’ bombing campaign on innocent Ukrainians as Putin fumes over failed invasion

RUSSIA could unleash a “ruthless” and “indiscriminate” bombing campaign on Ukraine as Vladimir Putin’s invasion stalls, warned defence secretary Ben Wallace. The former soldier warned the Russian offensive – which is entering its fifth day – could become even more violent as Putin’s forces find themselves bogged down across their advance. RuckasDefence secretary Ben Wallace warned that the Russian offensive could ramp up to become ‘ruthless’ and ‘indiscriminate’[/caption] EPAA big fire at a petroleum storage depot after a Russian missile attack, in Vasylkiv near Kyiv[/caption] GettyA blown-off tank turret lies on the ground on the outskirt of Kharkiv[/caption] GettyRussian soldiers have been facing a stalled offensive against Ukraine[/caption] SWNSA burning Russian tank after it was hit by Ukrainian forces[/caption] Mr Wallace said that Russia’s forces are “strung out” and “behind schedule” as they face a tough Ukrainian resistance. He said although the Ukrainians were putting up “a very strong fight” the reality was they were going up against “the overwhelming scale of the Russian Federation Army”. Putin “convinced himself that all these people would somehow welcome them with Russian flags and thank them for being great liberators”, he said. But instead the Ukrainian resistance had made these plans “go awry” – but he warned the offensive is likely to become “more violent”. Mr Wallace said: “So we have to brace ourselves for what may come next, which could be ruthless, indiscriminate bombing of cities and propelling forward of soldiers and high casualty levels, and that’s going to be horrific.” Russia is known have deployed more devastating weapons – such as thermobaric artillery – to the region, which are not yet believed to have been deployed against Ukraine. Most read in The Sun KNIFE EDGE Ukraine faces 'crucial 24 hours' with Russia peace talks as Belarus warns of WW3 VILE RANT Russian ex-Strictly star Kristina Rihanoff says ‘I don’t give a s**t about war’ 'NO WORDS' Jungle music legend MC Skibadee, 54, dead as tributes pour in TAX CHECK Thousands of parents warned to check child benefit or risk fine and tax charge 'bad taste' Strictly's Kristina Rihanoff slammed by fans over 'insensitive pro Putin' tweet MAD VLAD Putin's chilling threat with nukes on ALERT after warning West of 'consequences' But he also downplayed the nuclear threat from Russia after Putin announced his forces were now on “high alert”. “We’ve looked at their posture. There isn’t a significant change,” he said on LBC radio, accusing Putin of trying to “flex muscles” with his invasion bogged down. Wallace said he had assured his 12-year-old son: “No, we’re not going to have a nuclear war. “What I’ve said to him is, look, President Putin is dealing at the moment in a rhetoric, he wants to distract from what’s gone wrong in Ukraine, and he wants us all to be reminded that he has a nuclear deterrent.” It comes as… Ukrainian troops have destroyed a convoy of Russian special forces made up of Chechen fightersFierce fighting has been taking place in Kharkiv where Ukrainian commanders say they are in “full control”A blitz from Russian forces to hold a crucial road junction five miles west of Kyiv city centre was beaten offSoldiers thought to have been killed after telling Russians to “go f**k yourselves” may still be aliveMissiles rained down on the country in the fourth night of warWestern allies agreed to boot Russian banks out of the Swift systemRoman Abramovich gave up control of Chelsea football clubFreedom fighters from around the world were invited to join Ukraine’s army today and take on Putin’s troops.A former Miss Ukraine “has taken up arms” to fight against the Russian invasion But Britain, France and the United States had their own nuclear deterrence available, Wallace stressed: “It’s kept us safe for decades. It is a deterrent by definition and design.” The minister said the progress of Russia’s advance into Ukraine was deteriorating, telling BBC radio in a separate interview: “There are many reports of Russians either sort of deserting or surrendering. “Because they are confused as much as anyone why they are engaged in a war with people they’re probably related to.” Meanwhile, Kyiv came through another night of siege as the brutal war between Ukraine and Russia enters day five. High level peace talks are expected to be held at 10am UK time between Moscow and Kyiv on Belarusian-Ukrainian border. Read our Russia – Ukraine live blog for the very latest updates With Putin’s hopes of a rapid victory crushed, the tyrant has been forced to the negotiating table for the first time – but it is unclear how successful such talks will be. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that his country faces a “crucial” 24 hours in a call with Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Ukraine holds out no great hope after agreeing to talks with Russia in Belarus – the launchpad for attacks on Kyiv. “But let them try,” said Zelenskyy. Before dawn, explosions were heard in the capital city and also in the country’s second largest city Kharkiv. Powerful blasts were also reportedly heard in the cities of Cherkasy and Chernihiv as the brutal barrage continues. Ukraine’s army says it fought off several attempts by Russian forces to storm the outskirts of Kyiv overnight with the capital also hit by three missile strikes. Russia has so far fired more than 350 missiles at Ukraine, with many hitting civilians. Moscow has failed to win full control of Ukraine’s airspace, despite advances across the country. US officials say they believe the invasion has been more difficult, and slower, than the Kremlin envisioned – sparking concern Putin could start to use even more vicious weapons. “It appears that they are adopting a siege mentality, which any student of military tactics and strategy will tell you, when you adopt siege tactics, it increases the likelihood of collateral damage,” a US official said. It is estimated nearly 400,00 civilians, mainly women and children, have now fled Ukraine into neighbouring countries. APAn military truck burns after being abandoned following fighting in Kharkiv, Ukraine[/caption] GettyAt least 400,000 Ukrainians have already fled the war into neighbouring countries.[/caption] East2WestAn explosion from an alleged missile strike near Cherkasy[/caption] East2WestAnother blast in the city which is the along the Dnieper river[/caption] EU commissioner for crisis management Janez Lenarcic said: “We are witnessing what could become the largest humanitarian crisis on our European continent in many, many years.” Russia faces a day of economic pain after the imposition of crushing new sanctions. Brutal new measures rolled out over the weekend designed to cut off Russia could trigger a run on the banks as the rouble is now in “free fall”. Meanwhile, Putin’s closest ally, Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko – who is known as Europe’s Last Dictator, accused the West of “pushing Russia into World War 3”. Ahead of the United Nations holding a rare emergency meeting of its General Assembly over the crisis, the Prime Minister also told Ukraine the UK would do all it could to send more arms. Mr Johnson said Mr Putin’s nuclear order appeared to be an attempt to divert from the fact that his efforts to re-make the post-Cold War order in Europe were failing. President Putin sent shock waves through Western capitals with his instruction on Sunday to his top military leaders to put the strategic nuclear deterrent on a “special regime of combat duty”. The US said it was “completely unacceptable” while a senior US defence official was quoted as warning the Russian leader had made any “miscalculation… much, much more dangerous”. Lukashenko insisted sanctions being handed down by countries including the UK and US are propelling Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. “Now there is a lot of talk against the banking sector, gas, oil, SWIFT,” he said. “It’s worse than war. This is pushing Russia into a Third World War.  “We need to be restrained here so as not to get into trouble. Because nuclear war is the end of everything.” Earlier, Lukashenko had warned the war in Ukraine will “become a meat grinder” if it continues. “The conflict in Ukraine is the thin edge of the wedge. Believe me, I know what I’m talking about. If it continues like this, the worst will happen,” he said. “He (Zelenskyy) will not be hidden in any American or some other bunker. That’s why the war should be ended today. “I wouldn’t even call it the war. This is a conflict. The war will last for one-two days, but there will be a meat grinder in three days.” Diplomats from Kyiv and Moscow are set to meet “without preconditions” near the Pripyat River on the Belarusian border as Putin’s invasion rumbles on for the fourth day. Zelenskyy had previously refused to negotiate in Belarus, but according to Kuleba, Belarus’ president told him there would be “no such move” as long as the planned talks go ahead. But Zelenskyy admitted he’s not confident of a positive resolution from the talks, saying: “I do not really believe in the outcome of this meeting, but let them try, so that later not a single citizen of Ukraine has any doubt that I, as president, tried to stop the war.” HIGH ALERT It comes after Putin put his nuclear forces on high alert just after warning the West “may face the greatest consequences in history”. The Russian tyrant is said to be “furious” he’s not been able to subdue Ukraine and lashed out at NATO for its “unfriendly measures” he says forced him into the chilling nuclear gamble. The move means Putin has ordered the world’s largest stockpile of nuclear warheads prepared for launched readiness – raising the terrifying possibility the crisis and a miscalculation could spill over into nuclear war. In an address on state TV, Putin claimed aggressive statements by NATO leaders and economic sanctions against Moscow have forced his hand. He said “not only do Western countries take unfriendly measures” such as “illegal sanctions” but “top officials of leading NATO countries allow themselves to make aggressive statements with regards to our country”. Putin said he has now ordered his military command to put Russia’s deterrence forces – a reference to units which include nuclear arms – on high alert. “I order the defence minister and the chief of the general staff of the Russian armed forces to put the deterrence forces of the Russian army into a special mode of combat service,” Putin said. Meanwhile, Mr Johnson described Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as “a disastrous, misbegotten venture by President Putin” which “can lead to no good” for Russia. The PM told the Ukrainian Cathedral of the Holy Family that he holds “no hostility” to the Russian people but there is “no possible excuse” for its leadership to choose to invade Ukraine. He said: “I’m going to stress that there is no hostility in my heart towards the Russian people, none whatever – quite the reverse. “My heart aches for the Russian parents who are already losing their children in this vicious and appalling war – just as it aches for the civilians and the people of Ukraine. “But when it comes to the Russian leadership who chose this path of violence, and I stress chose this path of violence and aggression, there can be no possible excuse. “And never in all my study or memory of politics and international affairs have I seen so clear a distinction between right and wrong, between good and evil, between light and dark. And that is the real reason why is Ukraine is our neighbour today.” Mr Johnson said the UK will be “very generous” over Ukrainian refugees coming to Britain, with a system that lets people enter the country when they are in fear of persecution, to reunite with family or “other purposes”. He added that Putin putting Russia’s nuclear deterrent forces on high alert was “a distraction from the reality of what’s going on in Ukraine” and praised Ukrainians for “fighting back perhaps with more effect, with more resistance, than the Kremlin had bargained for”. Meanwhile, the UK is to provide a further £40million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine, the Government has announced. The sky above Kyiv glowed orange as loud bangs were heard GettySmoke rises over Kyiv on Sunday morning[/caption] EPAA Ukrainian soldier stands in the charred remains of a battlefield[/caption] AFPUkrainian soldiers inspecting a burnt out Russian military vehicle in Kharkiv[/caption]