Separatists in Eastern Ukraine Declare Full Military Mobilization

english.jpnn.com, DONETSK - The leaders of pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine declared full military mobilization on Saturday, a day after ordering the evacuation of women and children to southern Russia over the threat of conflict.

The head of the Donetsk People's Republic, Denis Pushilin, said in a video statement that he had signed a decree on military mobilization.

One of the contents of the decree was a call to all men in Donetsk who could take up arms to come to the military commissariat.

Shortly after, another separatist leader Leonid Pasechnik signed a similar decree for the Luhansk People's Republic.

Separatist authorities on Friday announced plans to evacuate some 700,000 people, fearing a sudden attack by Ukrainian troops - a claim Kiev vehemently denies.

Less than 7,000 people had been evacuated from Donetsk as of Saturday morning, according to the emergency ministry.

On the same day, the Ukrainian military recorded 12 ceasefire violations by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine in the morning after recording 66 cases the day before.

Separatist authorities also reported what they described as shootings by Ukrainian troops in villages on Saturday.