Sputnik goes live from the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic in eastern Ukraine where the emergency evacuation of civilians to Russia’s Rostov Region is underway.
The self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) and DPR announced the evacuation of their citizens on Friday due to the escalation of tensions on the line of contact in southeastern Ukraine and amid fears of an attack by Kiev forces.
DPR head Denis Pushilin said on Friday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would soon order Kiev forces to launch an offensive in Donbass, in order to implement a plan to invade the DPR and LPR.
Follow Sputnik's live feed to find out more.