Ukraine fears Belarus could invade; Biden says NATO military action against Russia would be WW3; Russian major general ‘killed in action’

By Nick Martin, Sky News correspondent, in Odesa

It is bitterly cold on the beach and the wind is howling. But they keep digging. One man holds open a white bag while another fills it with sand.

Then the choir begin to sing. It is a wartime serenade to encourage the volunteers to keep going. Because on the beaches of Odesa  – the Black Sea port thought to be Vladimir Putin’s next target – they are preparing to defend themselves.

“This is very important because each sandbag is someone’s life,” says Albert Kabakov, a volunteer.

The choir is singing the Ukrainian national anthem in the wind and the snow; one man holds a patriotic hand to his chest. The sandbagging continues – a staggering 350,000 bags have been filled in just two weeks. Everyone here just wants to survive.

Odesa is Ukraine’s third largest city and is strategically important to Vladimir Putin. If he can take it then he could cut Ukraine off from the sea. Which is why it is one of the main targets for the Russian offensive.

Putin’s forces are believed to be close by and advancing from the south. There have been reports that Russian warships are along the coast, but they are unconfirmed.

Just a few weeks ago everything was fine in Odesa. The famous cafes were open and the streets were busy.

Now those same streets have been fortified with a frightening array of barricades. The sandbags made on the beaches are everywhere, blocking doorways and windows and roads. Huge steel crosses, called hedgehogs, have been placed on the roads – designed to stop tanks and military vehicles in their tracks.

There is a carnival merry-go-round ride on the promenade overlooking the port and it has frozen solid after not being used for the past three weeks.

And a cherished statue of Armand-Emmanuel du Plessis, Odesa’s first governor, is shrouded in sandbags to protect it from any attacks from the sea.

Daniel Salem is a national guard soldier who has volunteered to fight. He thinks Odesa can hold back the Russian offensive.

“We have proved over the last few weeks that we can kick ass,” he says. “And that’s what we are doing. Kicking ass. Russia will never be forgiven for this. This will be remembered forever. It’s not war. This is murder.”

In peacetime, the Odesa food hall is usually buzzing with trendy food outlets and coffee shops. Today it has been transformed into a humanitarian aid station. There are boxes of supplies, first aid kits and blankets. 

But they really need body armour and helmets, says volunteer Inga Kordynovska. “We need money for pay it. Normal people do not have body armour and helmets. But we need them now.”

While we talk, an alarm goes off. It’s an air raid warning.

“Everybody – in the shelter, please,” shouts Inga.

Everyone makes their way down and the air cools as we descend the steps.

There are 40 or 50 people down there. A guy picks up a guitar and starts to play.  

Everyone sits and listens until the all clear is given.

The bombing is moving closer to Odesa and no one knows what will happen next.