‘We will defend our country’: Ukraine’s border guards brace for Russian assault

While some locals at Belarusian border see no cause for concern, troops and tanks are ready to swing into action

Standing next to the snowy Belarusian border, Vladislav Gorban showed off Ukraine's latest defences against Russian attack. New wooden posts topped with coils of gleaming razor wire ran alongside a slush-covered road. There was a shallow defensive ditch, dug some time ago, and a yellow and blue customs post. Plus a dog, used to sniff out narcotics.

Gorban, a border guard, admitted Russian tanks would be able to smash through this flimsy ensemble of barricades and continue towards Kyiv, 140 miles away. But he had a warning. If the Russians come, they can expect a nasty surprise," he said, hinting at the new portable anti-tank weapons sent by the UK to Ukraine's embattled pro-western government.