Warnings of imminent assault by Ukrainian forces fuels fears Moscow is seeking to create pretext for invasion
The leaders of pro-Russian proxy states in eastern Ukraine announced a mass evacuation of citizens to Russia on Friday evening, amid fears that Moscow is manufacturing tension in the region to provide a pretext for renewed military intervention in Ukraine.
After the evacuation announcement, warning sirens sounded in Donetsk and other cities in the two Moscow-backed statelets, supposedly due to an upcoming Ukrainian military assault on the region.