Fears have been sparked that Ukraine will invade Russia and the Kremlin claims there is a “credible threat” and Vladimir Putin has ordered the military to dig trenches and build a system of bunkers.

The British Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said in their latest intelligence briefing that the Russian military are building defence positions around Belgorod as the Kremlin fears that Ukraine could mount a cross border attack.

On Monday and Tuesday explosions rocked Putin’s airbases deep inside Russia as the Kursk airport, Dyagilyaevo and Engels 2 airbase, south east of Moscow were attacked.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Advisor Yuriy Sak told Sky News Australia, “In the past couple of weeks, they continue to lose the temporarily occupied territories.

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“Russian soldiers have been dying on the battlefield on average … 500 soldiers a day, we’ve destroyed now over 90,000 Russian soldiers.”

The MoD said that the attacks at the military sites were “much deeper inside Russia” than previous explosions, which the causes have not been confirmed.

In its latest update, the MoD said, “Russia has recently started extending defensive positions along its international border with Ukraine, and deep inside its Belgorod region.

“On December 6, 2022, the governor of Belgorod announced he was establishing local ‘self-defence units.’

“Trench digging has been reported in Belgorod since at least April 2022, but the new constructions are probably more elaborate systems designed to rebuff mechanised assault.”

The MoD said, “There is a realistic possibility that the Russian authorities are promoting defensive preparations within internationally recognised Russian territory to burnish patriotic feeling.

“However, it probably illustrates some Russian decision-makers genuine (but false) belief that there is a credible threat of invasion by Ukrainian forces.

“Paucity in strategic assessment is one of the critical weaknesses of the central Russian government architecture: as highlighted by Russia’s original decision to invade Ukraine.

“Impartial official analysis is almost certainly frequently undermined by a tendency toward group-think and politically expedient conclusions.”

The attacks at the airbases have caused panic among Russian military bloggers have reported that the attacks shows that Ukrainian forces have now crossed into the Russian Federation who have “already reached the banks of Volga,” which is the river that flows near to Moscow.

Military blogger Readovka wrote on Telegram, “With a high degree of probability, the drone worked from our territory, which means that enemy DRGs have already reached the banks of the Volga.

“If the drone came from Ukraine, then our enemy already has technology with a range of 1000 km, which means that Moscow is under attack.

“There is only one conclusion: counter-terrorism measures on the territory of the Russian Federation should be strengthened to the maximum, retaliation strikes should be continued tenfold.”