Moscow-backed separatist leaders in conflict-affected eastern Ukraine have announced they will evacuate civilians to Russia as fears of a major escalation of fighting are growing.
The announcement on Friday by the leaders of the self-proclaimed People’s Republic of Luhansk (LPR) and the People’s Republic of Donetsk (DPR) came after rebels and the Ukrainian government exchanged new accusations of bombing and other ceasefire violations in the Donbas region.
Meanwhile, Western powers are continuing to sound the alarm about the gathering of more than 100,000 troops from Moscow around the borders of Ukraine, writes Al Jazeera.
The United States and its allies have warned that Russia may be trying to fabricate a pretext for invading Ukraine by deliberately igniting the conflict in Donbas.
Locals in Donetsk are sharing photos of the long lines at ATMs around town after the evacuation orders + sirens started sounding
(see: https://t.co/ybRCF3DTiS) pic.twitter.com/Vg6XcqiZiJ— Aric Toler (@AricToler) February 18, 2022
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