Thousands of Women & Children Flee to Russia as Tensions Flare in Donbass - Photo, Video
12:15 GMT 20.02.2022 (Updated: 13:04 GMT 20.02.2022)
© Sputnik / Ilya Pitalev
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About 30,000 people have crossed the Russian border from Donbass during the past day alone, with the majority of the evacuees from that region being children.
The ongoing military escalation in Donbass has led to thousands of local residents fleeing across the border to Russia. On Friday, authorities in the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics announced the evacuation of women and children.
According to Russian Federal Security Service's border security department for Rostov Oblast, some 30,000 people from the self-proclaimed republics have crossed the border into Russia during the past day.
The majority of the evacuees, around 60 percent, are children.
Donetsk People's Republic residents seen inside a train at Donetsk-2 station during evacuation to Russia's Rostov Oblast
© Sputnik / Ilya Pitalev
/ Donetsk People's Republic head Denis Pushilin also declared that the recent car bombing in Donetsk was a sign of preparations by Kiev to launch a military offensive into the Donbass region.
Refugees from Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics arrive in Russia's Rostov Oblast
© Sputnik / Maksim Bogodvid
/ The situation in Donbass took a turn for the worse in the past few weeks, with Ukrainian government forces shelling civilian targets in the region.
Refugees from self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics arrive at their temporary accomodations in Russia's Rostov Oblast
© Sputnik / Maksim Blinov
/ DPR head Denis Pushilin also warned that he expects Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to order an offensive against the self-proclaimed republics in the near future.
Donetsk People's Republic residents seen inside a train at Donetsk-2 station during evacuation to Russia's Rostov Oblast
© Sputnik / Ilya Pitalev
