A Harlow man living in Ukraine has described feeling “worried and anxious” as his Ukrainian wife and son await approval from the UK visa office to flee the country.

Mounting tensions are nearly at breaking point as Boris Johnson warned that Vladimir Putin appears “bent on a full-scale invasion” and vowed to swiftly introduce the “first barrage” of sanctions against Russia.

Nathan Rossiter, 32, from Harlow, has spent most of the past seven years in Kharkiv – which is around 25 miles from the Russian border in northeast Ukraine – but has faced prolonged difficulty in securing a visa for his wife Lena and their five-year-old son, Leo.

Mr Rossiter said while he likes life in Ukraine, he wants his family safe.

Undated handout photo of Nathan Rossiter and his Ukrainian wife, Lena, and their son, Leo. Photo: PA

Undated handout photo of Nathan Rossiter and his Ukrainian wife, Lena, and their son, Leo. Photo: PA

“I’m anxious about the decision from (the UK visa office), worried we might have to do more, worried about if flights are still going to be available when (or) if the visa application is approved,” he told the PA news agency.

“I’m anxious about having to pack up five or six years’ worth of our life and move it to storage or get rid of it.

“I’m worried about the timeframe and how long things could still take… worried and anxious is the best way to describe how I’m feeling at the moment.”

Mr Rossiter said he has noticed anxiety in Ukrainian locals has heightened amid the prospect of war.

Read more: Russia's 'invasion of Ukraine has begun' on 'very dark day in Europe'

“At the moment it’s stressful, and especially over the past week or so more Ukrainians do seem to be a bit worried about what’s happening with Russia,” he said.

“But in day-to-day life, everybody is just carrying on as normal – what else can they do?

“Me personally, I don’t want Lena or Leo to be here as things progress.”

The Prime Minister warned on Tuesday that Moscow sending troops into the Donbas region under the guise of being “peacekeepers” appears to be the Kremlin “establishing the pretext for a full-scale offensive”, with nearly 200,000 troops now amassed on Ukraine’s border.