RIOT police march in Almaty, Kazakhstan, after they quelled widespread protests — aided by Russian troops.
It came as new £3.2billion Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales prepared to set sail to help Nato protect Ukraine from a possible Moscow invasion.
Capt Steve Higham said his crew were braced for the threat from President Vladimir Putin.
He added. “We understand the threat from Russia and we are ready to respond.”
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said yesterday the West “must prepare for the worst”.
More than 100,000 Russian troops have massed on Ukraine’s borders and President Putin has demanded Nato stop admitting new members.
US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said Moscow’s demands were “non-starters”.
“We will not allow anyone to close Nato’s open-door policy,” she said.
Ukraine’s military chief Lt Gen Valerii Zaluzhnyi, 48, said his forces would defend their country “until the last drop of blood”.
HMS Prince of Wales will sail without any F-35 jets on board – relying instead on Merlin sub-hunting choppers and drones to challenge Russia in the North Atlantic and the Baltic Sea.
