It's unclear where the shelling originated. The authorities in the breakaway republics persistently claim shelling by Ukrainian forces, who in turn regularly deny firing artillery across the front lines.
The Foreign Secretary's comments came as UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that a Russian invasion of Ukraine could cause "the destruction of a democratic state" and "the shock will echo around the world", the Daily Mail reported.
Johnson also indicated that the UK would bring in even more far-reaching sanctions against Russia than have been suggested before.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Wednesday set up a control room to provide information and assistance to Indian nationals in Ukraine. In addition, the Indian embassy in Ukraine has also set up a 24-hour helpline for Indians in the eastern European nation.
Moscow has repeatedly denied the accusation, stressing its right to mobilise troops within its borders to defend its territory as the NATO activities constitute a threat to Russia's border security.
Biden said the US is still open for diplomacy to resolve the issue while stressing that more than 150,000 Russian troops remain on the Ukrainian border.
After the US ratcheted up warnings against a possible Russian invasion in days, a dozen countries have advised their citizens to leave Ukraine.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has announced that the US will temporarily relocate its embassy in Ukraine from the capital city of Kiev to the western city of Lviv, citing escalating tensions on Ukraine's borders.
It comes after Johnson asked UK defence and security chiefs to step up defensive efforts in Europe during a high-level intelligence briefing on the situation in Ukraine this week.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that there are one lakh Russian troops at the border, bellicose rhetoric, and actions, including false-flag operations to try to spread misinformation throughout the region and even the world, setting up the predicate for an invasion.
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