Supported by Russia separatists of Donbass decided today to evacuate these areas, an unexpected, shocking development in the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, which the West believes that the Moscow will use as an excuse to invade Ukraine.
The sirens sounded in Donetsk after the separatist authorities in the region, as well as in the so-called “People’s Republic” of Luhansk, announced the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people – women, children and the elderly.
Hours later, a jeep exploded outside the Donetsk “government” building in the provincial capital of the same name. Reuters reporters said they saw the wrecked vehicle, with one of its wheels thrown off. According to Russian media, the jeep belonged to one of the leaders of the separatists.
The Ukrainian government assures that it does not plan any attack and does not target civilians.
Most of the inhabitants of the two regions are Russian-speaking and many have already acquired Russian citizenship.
Within a few hours of surprise announcement, whole families gathered to board the buses. Authorities estimate that about 700,000 people will leave.
A woman hugged her crying children.
THE Irina Lisanova, 22 years old, who had just returned from a trip to Russia, said she was now packing again to return with her retired mother. “Mom is panicking. “Daddy is sending us away,” he said. Her father, Constantine, 62, said he was determined not to leave. “This is my homeland and the land is ours. “I will stay and put out the fires,” he said.
The evacuation was decided after the heaviest bombardments that have taken place for a long time began along the demarcation line, in a zone that has been simmering for years. The Ukrainian government and the separatists are blaming each other for the escalation of tension.
Western nations believe the bombings, which began on Thursday and intensified today, are part of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attempt to create a pretext to justify the invasion. Russia, on the other hand, insists it has no intention of attacking Ukraine and accuses the West of irresponsible warfare.
According to the Tass news agency, citing the Donetsk People’s Republic’s mission to the Joint Control and Coordination Center, Ukrainian forces bombed six settlements with at least 177 shells tonight, in less than an hour and a half.
In the Donetsk, many were going on with their normal lives tonight. There were no signs of panic and only a small queue had formed at an ATM. “I think everything will calm down in a few days,” said one of those waiting, 30-year-old Ilia.
“The largest military mobilization since World War II”
Fearing a war could shake the stock market and Europe in a diplomatic crisis, Russia announced this week that it had begun withdrawing troops from its border with Ukraine. But the United States says it actually did the opposite: it increased its forces, from 100,000 troops at the end of January to 169,000-190,000 now.
“We are seeing additional forces marching to the border. “Including high-level forces that could take part in an attack,” said US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken at the Munich Security Conference.
Western countries fear a conflict on a scale never before seen by Europe, at least since the wars in Yugoslavia and Chechnya in the 1990s, when thousands of people were killed and millions forced to flee their homes.
THE Ukraine is the second largest country in Europe after Russia and has a population of 40 million.
“This is the most important military mobilization in Europe since World War II,” said US Ambassador Michael Carpenter at a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The same view was expressed by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, speaking tonight on German television ZDF. “Russia is certainly in a position to attack Ukraine without further warning,” he said.
THE Ukraine argued that the Russia plans “Directed” attackssuch as releasing a video of a fake attack on a chemical plant to accuse Kiev of “provocations” in the breakaway regions.
“Ukrainian forces are not planning any offensive operations and will not use their weapons if peaceful civilians can be threatened,” the Ukrainian military said.
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