First refugees from eastern Ukraine arrive in Russia

The first group of refugees from the Donbass region have arrived in Russia following an evacuation order made by the self-proclaimed People’s Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk authorities ahead of an anticipated Ukrainian military action.

According to Russian media, 80 buses with hundreds of refugees, mostly women and children, have already arrived in Rostov Region, which borders Ukraine.

Earlier on Friday, the authorities of the two breakaway regions announced that the Ukrainian Army was planning “a breakthrough” into the Donbass territory. In light of the alleged attack, they called on civilians to evacuate to Russia.

According to the Donetsk People’s Republic, about 700,000 people are due to be evacuated.

Kiev has denied accusations of an alleged attack on the Donbass, claiming Russia is attempting to create a pretext for its own invasion of Ukraine. Over the past few months, Moscow has consistently refuted reports of alleged plans to invade the neighboring country.