Kyiv, Feb 18 (AP) A separatist leader in eastern Ukraine has announced the evacuation of civilians to Russia amid soaring tensions.

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.

Also Read | Prince Harry Lawyers Say He Feels Unsafe Bringing Kids to UK.

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.

The separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine erupted in 2014 and has killed over 14,000 people. (AP)

Also Read | Storm Eunice: Red Weather Alert Issued for Most of UK as Cyclonic Storm Hits England, Wales.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)