Russian ambassador Alexey Pavlovsky warns Morrison govt not to 'fan hysteria' over Ukraine

In a rare media appearance, the Russian ambassador to Australia Dr Alexey Pavlovsky said the amassing of large military forces was not a threat to invade the former Soviet Union country but a deterrent against "reckless" aggression by the Ukrainian government.

It comes as the United States and NATO have raised concerns over a possible imminent ground invasion by Russian forces into eastern Ukraine.

The Australian government has also withdrawn some diplomats from the Eastern European country, urging citizens to leave sooner rather than later.

But the Russian ambassador said an all-out conflict was not the goal and "unkind' Western propaganda had portrayed the country's concerns of ethnic cleansing as "irrational".

He said Russia's move to send more than 100,000 troops to the border, in conjunction with an increase in military exercises in the region, was a "funny way" to prepare for war.

"Our troops are not a threat," Dr Pavlovsky said on Friday.

"They are a warning to Ukraine not to try any reckless military adventures, not to interpret the support they have from the West as carte blanche to do such crazy things.

"We cannot afford ethnic cleansing just across our border."

He said states, like Russia, had the right to place troops wherever, and whenever, they like within their borders.

The continued support of Ukraine's alleged provocations by Western countries, however, could lead to war, he added.

"[Support from Western countries] embolden Kyiv to continue their line of sabotage to not implementing the decisions supported by the United Nations Security Council," he said.

"This why we think that such expressions of support are very dangerous, because they lead to provocations, they lead to war."

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The Russian envoy also warned against language used by government ministers, including Defence Minister Peter Dutton, who referred to the country's leader, Vladimir Putin, as an ageing and irrational dictator.

Mr Dutton said earlier this week it was important to call out dictators as a deterrance to avoid the deaths of civilians.

"At the moment, we hope that deterrence can mean that the Russians step back and they don't continue on a path to conflict. Tens of thousands of people will die, there will be bloody scenes," he told Sky News on Tuesday.

Some diplomatic staff and their families were evacuated from Ukraine earlier and DFAT upgraded its advice to "do not travel".

Dr Pavlovsky accused the federal government of "fanning hysteria" from thousands of miles away.

"If such is the level of analysis informing Australian policy, then it is definitely a worrying sign," Dr Pavlovsky said.

"Australians definitely are entitled to more meaningful understanding of the situation than comic book-style propaganda like Batman versus Joker."

Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne earlier this week advised citizens to leave the region as soon as possible in case commercial flights in and out of Ukraine were cancelled at short notice.

"This is a cautious and prudent step, it is because the situation is unpredictable. And it's about protecting Australians on the ground," she told ABC's RN Breakfast this week .

Around 1400 Australian citizens remain in Ukraine, with the federal government already directing the departure of family members of Australian embassy staff in the capital Kyiv.

Russia is believed to have assembled close to 120,000 troops along its Belarus and Ukraine border since December.

Dr John Besemeres, a Russia expert from the Australian National University, said Ukrainians would push back against Russian occupation if it were to happen but many lives would be at risk.

"There are an awful lot of weapons in Ukraine, and an awful lot of people who've had training with those weapons," he said.

"There's every possibility that [Russia] could take a large part of the Ukraine and set it up as their own. But Ukrainians will fight back and it will be a dirty war."