THE Maldon MP has questioned the Government on the possible threat to other countries surrounding Russia amid the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine this morning with thousands of troops heading across the border into their neighbouring country.

Explosions were heard around the country including around capital city Kyiv.

Russian president Vladimir Putin has issued a stark warning to other countries that any attempt to interfere with the Russian action would lead to “consequences they have never seen”.

John Whittingdale stood in Parliament on Monday to question Ben Wallace, Secretary of State for Defence, on whether he has made any assessment of the possible threat to other surrounding areas amid the ongoing crisis.

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He said: "Can my Right Honourable friend say whether increased military activity has been detected in other Russian-controlled areas?"

These areas include Transnistria, Crimea and Kaliningrad.

Mr Whittingdale added: "What assessment has he made of the possible threat, if not now then in the future, of other former Soviet states which are outside of NATO such as Moldova?"

His questions came as the UK and other NATO nations tried to calm hostilities teetering on the Ukrainian boarder.

Mr Wallace responded: "It's been a long-running challenge, Russia's malign activity. We've packaged it up and called it malign activity but we have seen it in the likes of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

"And we should not forget in all of this that Bosnia and Herzegovina is on a very fragile position at the moment. 

"It is in an impoverished state, the minorities are already starting to agitate and Russia's influence into some of the separatists could have the potential of sending us all back to the early '90s.

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"Russia's malign activity does no good and it does not only challenge our European values but it also challenges the wealth of those states and for no apparent reason, it seems, other than to just weaken people who think differently from them."

James Cleverly, Braintree MP and the Foreign Office Minister, had previously said the UK can expect to see tougher sanctions against Russia.

Further economic sanctions against Russia will now be announced later today, he says, amid criticism of those already set out by the UK Government as being weak.