<p>A separatist leader in eastern Ukraine has announced the evacuation of civilians to Russia amid soaring tensions.</p>.<p>Denish Pushilin, the head of the separatist government in the Donetsk region, said in a statement Friday that women, children and the elderly will be evacuated first, and that Russia has prepared the necessary facilities to accommodate them.</p>.<p>The move comes amid a spike in shelling across the line of contact between Ukrainian government forces and Russia-backed rebels in the region in recent days that fuelled Western fears that Moscow could use it as a pretext for an invasion.</p>.<p>The separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine erupted in 2014 and has killed over 14,000 people.</p>.<p><strong>Check out the latest videos from <i data-stringify-type="italic">DH</i>:</strong></p>
<p>A separatist leader in eastern Ukraine has announced the evacuation of civilians to Russia amid soaring tensions.</p>.<p>Denish Pushilin, the head of the separatist government in the Donetsk region, said in a statement Friday that women, children and the elderly will be evacuated first, and that Russia has prepared the necessary facilities to accommodate them.</p>.<p>The move comes amid a spike in shelling across the line of contact between Ukrainian government forces and Russia-backed rebels in the region in recent days that fuelled Western fears that Moscow could use it as a pretext for an invasion.</p>.<p>The separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine erupted in 2014 and has killed over 14,000 people.</p>.<p><strong>Check out the latest videos from <i data-stringify-type="italic">DH</i>:</strong></p>