Shapps abandoned Ukraine trip over security - MoD

Grant Shapps aborted a trip to southern Ukraine last week for "security reasons", the UK defence ministry said.

The defence secretary had to scrap his visit to Odesa last week after UK intelligence reportedly warned Russia had become aware of his travel plans.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed Mr Shapps had not made the planned visit.

According to the Sunday Times, who first reported the story, Mr Shapps's travel plans changed abruptly shortly after he arrived on a visit to Ukraine via Poland on 7 March.

The strike in Odesa the previous day raised the threat level to his safety from substantial to critical, according to the newspaper, which had a reporter travelling with his delegation.

Five people were killed in the explosions which rocked the southern port city of Odesa, according to Ukrainian authorities.

During a joint press conference on the day, the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said "we heard the sound of sirens and explosions that took place near us. We did not have time to get to a shelter."

"Putin has shown himself to be reckless, ruthless and careless," Mr Shapps told the Sunday Times.

"The fact that he came perilously close to essentially assassinating two western leaders, it doesn't matter whether that is deliberate or accidental.

"What the hell is he doing, and why the heck would the West allow him to do that kind of thing?"

Earlier this week it emerged that an RAF plane carrying Mr Shapps between the UK and Poland had its GPS signal jammed while flying close to Russian territory.