The head of the DPR Denis Pushilin signed the order on general mobilization

- There are large-scale shelling of territories by Ukraine of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics. Only in recent days, our army has prevented several attempts of terrorist attacks by the Ukrainian special services. <...> They hit us with mortars, grenade launchers, anti-tank missile systems, heavy machine guns, small arms, cannon artillery, fire from tanks. The people's militia holds back the enemy with return fire. <...> People's militia, The Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, emergency services are ready to rebuff Ukraine. Whatever the scenario, events develop, we will be able to contain the aggression of Kiev. We must join forces. I call on fellow countrymen arriving in reserve to come to the military commissariats. Today I signed a decree on general mobilization. I appeal to all the men of the republic who are able to hold weapons in their hands: to stand up for their families, their children, wives, mothers. Together we will achieve the desired and necessary victory for all of us. We will protect Donbass and all Russian people, - said Denis Pushilin.

At the same time, the Readovka publication, citing its sources, reports a ban for men over 18 years of age to leave the Donbass. According to the interlocutors of the publication, such announcements are posted on the territory of Luhansk. At the same time, Readovka sources indicate that restrictions on leaving the territory of the LPR and DPR do not apply to holders of a Russian passport.

Recall that on February 18, the authorities of the DPR and LPR announced a mass evacuation of the population against the backdrop of an aggravation of the conflict. The refugees were sent to the Rostov region.

To date, about 25,000 residents of the unrecognized Luhansk Republic have arrived in Russia. More than 6.5 thousand people left the DPR for the Russian Federation, about 2.5 thousand of whom are children. Acting head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia Alexander Chupriyan instructed to find out what other subjects of the Russian Federation are ready to accept the evacuees. Now, in addition to the Rostov region, the Orenburg region and Yakutia have declared their readiness to accept refugees.

It should be noted that, according to avia.pro , the leaders of the DPR Denis Pushilin and LPR Leonid Pasechnik recorded a statement about the beginning of the evacuation two days before it actually began. The addresses of the leaders of the two republics were recorded a few hours before the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine launched large-scale attacks on the positions of the DPR and LPR.