Russian-backed separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine declared a full military deployment on Saturday, a day after ordering women and children to be evacuated to southern Russia because of what they said was a threat of conflict.
Denis Pushilin, head of the self-proclaimed People’s Republic of Donetsk, said in a video statement that he had signed a decree on mobilization and summoned men “able to hold a weapon in their hands” to attend military commissariats.
Another separatist leader, Leonid Pasechnik, signed a similar decree for the Luhansk People’s Republic shortly afterwards.
Separatist officials on Friday announced plans to evacuate some 700,000 people, citing fears of an imminent attack by Ukrainian forces – a charge Kiev has categorically denied.
Fewer than 7,000 people were evacuated from Donetsk on Saturday morning, the local emergency ministry said.
The Ukrainian military said it recorded 12 ceasefire violations by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine in the morning, following 66 cases in the previous 24 hours.
Separatist officials also reported what they said was an attack by Ukrainian forces on several villages on Saturday.
Both sides regularly exchange blame for ceasefire violations.
Source: CNN Brasil
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