MOSCOW, Feb 19 — Russian-backed separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine declared a full military mobilisation today, a day after ordering women and children to evacuate to southern Russia because of what they said was the threat of conflict.

Denis Pushilin, head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, said in a video statement that he had signed a decree on mobilisation and called on men "able to hold a weapon in their hands” to come to military commissariats.

Another separatist leader, Leonid Pasechnik, signed a similar decree for the Luhansk People’s Republic shortly afterwards.

Separatist authorities yesterday announced plans to evacuate around 700,000 people, citing fears of an imminent attack by Ukrainian forces — an accusation Kyiv flatly denied.

Less than 7,000 people had been evacuated from Donetsk as of this morning, the local emergencies ministry said.

The Ukrainian military said today it had recorded 12 ceasefire violations by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine in the morning after 66 cases in the previous 24 hours.

Separatist authorities also reported what they said was shelling by Ukrainian forces of several villages today.

Both sides regularly trade blame for ceasefire violations. — Reuters