Ukraine says Russian special forces planted explosives at Donetsk facilities

The military intelligence of Ukraine announced Friday that it has information that Russian special forces have planted explosives at a number of social infrastructure facilities in separatist-controlled Donetsk.

Donetsk is located in eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian forces have been fighting pro-Russia rebels since 2014 in a conflict that has killed some 14,000 people.

“These measures are aimed at destabilizing the situation in the temporarily occupied territories of our state and creating grounds for accusing Ukraine of terrorist acts,” the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine said in a tweet.

These measures are aimed at destabilizing the situation in the temporarily occupied territories of our state and creating grounds for accusing Ukraine of terrorist acts
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— Defence intelligence of Ukraine (@DI_Ukraine) February 18, 2022

The service is urging Donetsk residents not to leave their homes and not to use public transport.

This update comes amid spiking tensions in eastern Ukraine. Earlier on Friday, Russian-backed separatists announced an evacuation and packed civilians onto buses out of breakaway regions in east Ukraine.

The move has aggravated western fears of a Russian invasion and a new war on the edge of Europe.

— more to come

— with files from the Associated Press

by Global News