BRAVE Ukrainians stood firm at flag-waving Day of Unity vigils yesterday — as Vladimir Putin was accused of staging a fake withdrawal to mask an invasion.
The show of defiance came as scheming Putin’s claims his Russian troops were leaving Ukraine’s borders were called out by Nato, which revealed more were arriving.
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And UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace warned Russia was “locked and loaded” to invade.
But millions of patriotic Ukrainians shrugged off the threat of being engulfed in a World War III bloodbath by standing shoulder-to-shoulder yesterday.
They stopped work, clasped hands to their hearts and stood to sing the national anthem, vowing to defend their homeland against Russia “to the last breath”.
Hundreds sang their hearts out in Kyiv’s Olympic Stadium after unfurling the country’s biggest blue and yellow national banner.
The 200-metre flag was paraded around the running track before a rousing rendition of the national anthem at 10am.
Millions followed suit nationwide as Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky called on his people to show they were united against Putin’s threats.
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Shops and offices paused to give the salute while every window in government blocks was decked with flags.
Stadium security worker Alexander Pavlovich, 66, led the traditional chant “Fame to Ukraine” after the anthem was sung inside the 70,000-seat stadium.
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The air force veteran said: “We are here today to make Putin see we are united.
“If he orders an invasion, he will learn to his cost that we are ready to fight.”
Youth worker Maxim Lutsenko, 37, added: “We don’t want war but we will not take orders from Russia and will fight for our freedom.
“And if that means picking up a gun to fight, then I will definitely do it. I have already joined a reservist force.”
Russia’s defence ministry produced footage of tanks and military vehicles leaving the seized Crimea peninsula after weeks of tension.
But it was unclear whether it was a Putin bluff.
None of the pictures could be verified yesterday — as war jets, tanks, troops, missile batteries and battleships continued huge exercises to the north, south and east of the besieged nation.
Nato repeated that its analysts had seen no evidence on the ground of a withdrawal on the Ukrainian border — and that troop numbers were actually rising.
Secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said: “So far, we have not seen any de-escalation on the ground.
“On the contrary, it appears that Russia continues their military build-up — what we see is that they have increased the number of troops, and more troops are on the way.”
GROWING ALARM
The growing alarm over troop numbers continuing to rise came hours after US President Joe Biden said 150,000 were still massed near Ukraine’s borders.
The UK Defence Secretary called for caution, warning that Russia was still geared up to invade.
Mr Wallace said: “Russia has the size of forces now gathered and at readiness, locked and loaded to some extent, ready to go should they wish to do so from yesterday, and that has proved to be exactly right.”
He said latest intelligence showed that 60 per cent of Russian land combat power remained on the Ukrainian border, with significant naval forces at sea.
Mr Wallace continued: “I think what we haven’t seen is evidence of withdrawal which has been claimed by the Kremlin.
“Instead we have seen strategic build-up of things like field hospitals and strategic weapons systems.”
Warning that Putin could not be trusted, he added: “We will take Russia at its word but we will judge them by its actions.
“And until we see a proper de-escalation, I think we should all be cautious.”
Russia was later accused of a “ridiculous” con over claims it had withdrawn troops to permanent bases — because those garrisons were as close as 15 miles from Ukraine.
Independent analysts said two out of three divisions pulled back from annexed Crimea are normally based close to the border.
Russia announced units from the 3rd, 42nd and 150th Motorised Rifle Divisions were being sent back after “partial completion of large-scale exercises of the Russian army and navy”.
But researchers from the Russian Conflict Intelligence Team, which monitors troop movements, said only the 42nd in Chechnya was a substantial distance — 700 miles — from Ukraine.
‘CONFIDENCE-BUILDING’
Satellite imagery was reported to have shown Russian forces had constructed pontoon bridges over the Pripyat river in Belarus — just four miles from Ukraine’s northern border.
The Russian president has insisted he is now willing to enter into “confidence-building” talks with Western leaders.
But he turned the tables yet again yesterday by doubling down on his impossible demand that Ukraine must never join Nato.
Konstantin Gavrilov, head of Russia’s delegation to the Organisation of Security and Co-Operation in Europe, declared “Russia will insist that Nato publicly announces its refusal to accept Ukraine into its ranks.
“Kyiv, in turn, must declare its neutral, non-bloc status.”
The demands cross red lines for Western leaders who say Ukraine alone must decide its own fate — and are now set to send 4,000 troops to protect Europe’s eastern frontier.
The Kremlin yesterday insisted Nato was wrong about rising troop numbers and denied any part in a cyber attack which crippled Ukraine banks and government websites on Tuesday.
Russian war games in Belarus approached their peak yesterday with forces at maximum combat readiness — amid fears a stray missile launch could trigger a bloody conflict.
Russia’s Security Council Deputy Secretary Mikhail Popov warned any such launch in the powder keg region could be mistaken for a nuclear strike.
Meanwhile, fears of a false flag attack to give Putin an excuse for war remained high in the eastern Ukrainian enclave occupied by pro-Russian forces yesterday.
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