Australia’s decision to withdraw people from Ukraine sends ‘wrong message’, diplomat says

Dfat upgrades its travel advice as more than 100,000 Russian troops mass on border

• Nato reinforces eastern borders as Ukraine tensions mount

Australia's decision to withdraw the family members of diplomats from Ukraine because of the deteriorating security situation sends the wrong message" that a Russian invasion is inevitable, a Ukrainian diplomat has said.

Volodymyr Shalkivskyi, a senior official at Ukraine's embassy in Canberra, warned against fuelling panic" and rumours" that an invasion was certain, while the Australian defence minister, Peter Dutton, predicted bloody scenes" if Russia triggered a conflict in eastern Europe.