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DPR, LPR Order General Military Mobilisation as Kiev Continues to Shell Donbass

© REUTERS / ALEXANDER ERMOCHENKO / Cadets of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic walk during the ceremony in the rebel-controlled city of DonetskCadets of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic walk during the ceremony in the rebel-controlled city of Donetsk
Cadets of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic walk during the ceremony in the rebel-controlled city of Donetsk - Sputnik International, 1920, 19.02.2022
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On Friday, the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) and Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) announced the evacuation of their citizens to Russia's Rostov Region after the Ukrainian army launched an attack against the republics.
The head of the Donetsk People's Republic, Denis Pushilin, said on Saturday that he'd signed a decree on general mobilisation in the republic.
"I urge fellow countrymen who are in reserve to come to the military commissariats. Today I signed a decree on general mobilisation," Pushilin said.
The DPR has prevented Ukrainian special services from engaging in several acts of terrorism in the last several days, Pushilin added.
"Large-scale shelling by Ukraine of the territories of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics is underway. Only in recent days, our army has prevented several attempts at terrorist attacks by the Ukrainian special services," Pushilin said.
He said that no matter how events develop, the DPR will be able to contain Kiev's aggression.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine use mortars, grenade launchers, anti-tank missile systems during shelling, while the forces of the Donetsk People's Republic holds back the enemy with return fire, Denis Pushilin stressed.
In turn, the head of the LPR, Leonid Pasechnik, said that he had signed a decree on general mobilisation in the republic and banned men aged 18-55 from leaving the region.
The authorities of the DPR and the LPR started the evacuation of civilians to Russia on Friday, fearing military aggression by the Ukrainian government. The DPR head has warned that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky could order a full-fledged offensive against the republics at any time.
About 25,000 residents of the Lugansk People's Republic and 6,600 people, including almost 2,500 children from the Donetsk People's Republic have crossed the border with Russia as of Saturday morning.
On 18 February, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Kiev needs to engage in dialogue with the Donbass republics and come up with a common solution to end the ongoing conflict.
The situation on the contact line between Ukraine and the DPR and LPR has worsened in the last several days, as Kiev has intensified its shelling of the territories of the republics.
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