Defence chiefs were tonight finalising plans to bring home up to 1,000 Britons from Ukraine as Russian invasion fears intensify.
Officials are considering sending troops from 16 Air Assault Brigade to mount an evacuation of UK nationals.
The same unit helped with the rescue mission in Kabul last summer, when the Afghan city was overrun by the Taliban.
Defence sources say troops would fly to Ukraine in RAF transports and help pull out expats.
It comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin readies 100,000 troops on Ukraine’s border.
A defence source said: “If Russia invades, the situation will deteriorate rapidly. British nationals will need help to escape. Ideally, this will happen prior to an invasion but we must be prepared for anything.”
Dave Basset, 42, moved from Devon to Bila Tserkva, 50 miles south of capital Kiev, four years ago. The YouTube filmmaker said: “It’s not a nice feeling having this hanging over your head. Things are looking like something could happen.
“It’s something we need to be prepared for, gathering a go-bag and documents in case we need to flee the country.”
Business consultant Jez Myers, 44, who moved to Kiev from Manchester, said expats have started an online group planning escape routes. He added: “There are troops on the border. Putin seems to want something.”
It is understood British troops will create evacuation centres at one or more civilian or military airfields.
Meanwhile, British special forces are training Ukrainian counterparts in behind-the-lines sabotage.
Around 30 members of the SAS, the SBS and the Special Reconnaissance are believed to have been in the region for several weeks.
Britain has also sent 2,000 light anti-tank weapons along with a team of 30 soldiers from the Ranger Regiment.
But many British defence chiefs believe the West gave Putin a green light to invade by appearing weak in previous crises.
Colonel Richard Kemp, a former infantry commander, told us: “He learnt this when he invaded the Crimea with no real consequences and when his nerve gas and polonium attacks in Britain received little effective counter-action.
“It was confirmed by NATO’s abandonment of Afghanistan to the Taliban.”
