Warning sirens blared in Donetsk and Luhansk on Friday after rebel leaders there announced the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people to Russia. Late on Friday, Ukraine's military intelligence said Russian special forces had planted explosives at social infrastructure facilities in Donetsk, and it urged residents to stay at home. Russian-backed rebels seized a swathe of eastern Ukraine in 2014, the same year that Moscow annexed Ukraine's Crimea region. Putin says Ukraine's growing ties with the alliance could make it a launchpad for missiles targeting Russia. "Those closest to Russia, such as Hungary, will be against any sanctions short of a military invasion," according to one senior diplomat.
