Russian-backed Ukrainian rebel leader Denish Pushilin, the head of the Russian-backed Donetsk puppet state, announced Friday that civilians will be evacuated from the region into Russia, the AP reports. The exodus comes as artillery volleys between Donetsk – along with its allied puppet state, the Luhansk People’s Republic – and Ukrainian military forces have escalated in recent days. Western military officials fear this could be among the very last actions before a full-scale invasion.