Separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine ordered a full military mobilisation on Saturday, citing an increase in bloodshed in the war-torn region and Western fears that Russia could exploit the unrest as a pretext for an invasion.
Denis Pushilin, the leader of Ukraine’s pro-Russia separatist government in Donetsk, issued a statement proclaiming a full troop mobilisation and encouraging reservists to report to military enrollment offices.
Leonid Pasechnik, the rebel leader in the Luhansk region, made a similar proclamation shortly after.
Pushilin described the “urgent threat of assault” posed by Ukrainian soldiers, which Ukrainian officials have previously denied.
For nearly eight years, rebels and Ukrainian forces have been at odds. However, violence along the line of contact separating the two sides has increased in recent days, with a car bombing in the eastern city of Donetsk and a humanitarian convoy being shelled.
The long-simmering separatist struggle might offer the spark for a bigger invasion, with an estimated 150,000 Russian troops stationed along Ukraine’s borders.
With a declaration that looked to be part of their and Moscow’s efforts to portray Ukraine as the aggressor instead, the rebels began evacuating civilians from the war zone on Friday.
U.S. President Joe Biden said he was now “convinced” that Russian President Vladimir Putin had decided to invade Ukraine and attack the capital, Kyiv, in an ominous assessment.
Biden, who had stated for weeks that the US didn’t know if Putin had made the final decision, altered his mind, citing American information.
“As of right now, I believe he’s made his decision,” Biden added. “That is something we have cause to believe.” He stated again that the attack might happen in the “coming days.”
Meanwhile, the Kremlin stated that enormous nuclear drills will take place on Saturday, and Putin promised to defend Russia’s national interests against what he regards as increasing Western threats.
If Russia invades, Biden restated his threat of crippling economic and diplomatic consequences, and encouraged Putin to rethink. He claimed that the US and its Western allies were more united than ever before in their determination to make Russia pay a high price for any invasion.
A US defence official claimed that an estimated 40% to 50% of the ground forces positioned near the Ukrainian border have moved into offensive positions closer to the border, indicating that the Russians were ready for a significant military thrust.
Other insiders have claimed that the shift has been going on for nearly a week and that it does not necessarily signal Putin has chosen to launch an invasion. To discuss internal US military assessments, the defence official spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The number of Russian ground units known as battalion tactical groups in the border area has increased to 125, up from 83 two weeks ago, according to the official. Each unit comprises between 750 and 1,000 soldiers.
The lines of communication between the US and Russia remain open: the US and Russian defence chiefs met on Friday. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have agreed to meet next week.
The immediate focus of concern was on eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian forces have been fighting pro-Russian separatists since 2014 in a conflict that has claimed the lives of over 14,000 people.
Fears of such an escalation were stronger following Friday’s violence. According to an Associated Press writer in the rebel-held city of Donetsk, a car was bombed outside the main government building. According to the Interfax news agency, the separatist forces’ leader, Denis Sinenkov, claimed ownership of the vehicle.
There were no reports of injuries, and the circumstances of the explosion were not independently confirmed. Shelling and shooting are prevalent along the line separating Ukrainian soldiers and insurgents, but targeted violence in rebel-held cities is uncommon.
Two explosions jolted the rebel-controlled city of Luhansk early Saturday, adding to the tensions. One of the bombs was in a natural gas main, according to the Luhansk Information Center, while the other was at a vehicle service facility, according to witnesses. There was no information on injuries or a cause right away. Officials in Luhansk blamed sabotage for a gas main explosion earlier last week.
On Friday, observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe reported over 600 explosions in Ukraine’s war-torn east.
Separatists in the Luhansk and Donetsk areas, which make up Ukraine’s industrial heartland known as the Donbas, have announced that citizens will be evacuated to Russia.
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