Denis Pushlin, leader of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), which is one of Ukraine's two separatist regions, said on Saturday that he signed a decree on general mobilization.
“I call on compatriots who are in the reserve to enlist. Today I signed a decree on universal mobilization,” Pushlin said on Saturday in a video statement.
Another pro-Russian military leader, Leonid Pasechnik, signed a similar decree for the Luhansk People's Republic shortly after the statement by Pushlin.
On Friday, separatists in eastern Ukraine began evacuating around 700,000 residents to Russia, amid what they said were fears of an attack by Ukrainian forces.
According to Reuters, less than 7,000 people had been evacuated from Donetsk as of Saturday morning, the local emergencies ministry said.
Reuters also reported that the Ukrainian military said on Saturday it had recorded 12 ceasefire violations by the separatists in the morning, after 66 cases in the previous 24 hours.
News outlets also reported that on Saturday, a car exploded in Donetsk, which allegedly belonged to one of the local commanders, Denis Sinenkov.
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Source: PAP, Reuters