OREANDA-NEWS. The first buses with evacuated citizens of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) leave on Friday at 20:00 (Moscow time). This was announced on February 18 by the head of the administration of the city of Yasinovataya Dmitry Shevchenko.

“According to the decision of the head of the local administration in the city of Yasinovataya, an emergency evacuation has been announced <…> The gathering and landing places for evacuation are located <…> Buses leave today at 20:00,” Shevchenko wrote on his social networks.

Earlier that day, the head of the DPR, Denis Pushilin, announced that the DPR authorities had organized a mass exodus of the population to Russia. He added that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would soon order the military to go on the offensive in order to implement the plan to invade the territory of the DPR and LPR.

Member of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs Sergei Tsekov on Friday drew attention to the fact that the DPR authorities decided to evacuate residents to Russia in order to avoid civilian casualties amid the deteriorating situation. According to him, it can be assumed that a serious provocation is being prepared by Kiev.

Prior to this, the DPR representative office in the joint center for control and coordination of the ceasefire regime (JCCC) reported that the Ukrainian security forces had fired 68 mines and shells across the territory of the republic since the beginning of the day. It was clarified that from 5:30 to 9:00 (coincides with Moscow time) shelling was recorded from the armed forces of Ukraine (AFU) in the direction of the settlements of Novolaspa, Gorlovka, Dzerzhinskoye, Dolomitnoye and Verkhnetoretskoye.