Warning siren sounds in rebel-held capital in east Ukraine -Reuters witness

FILE PHOTO: Service members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces take part in military drills at a firing ground in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, February 15, 2022. General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces/Handout via REUTERS

DONETSK, Ukraine (Reuters) - A loud warning siren sounded in the centre of the east Ukrainian city of Donetsk on Friday after a Russian-backed separatist leader in the breakaway region announced an evacuation of residents, a Reuters witness said.

Separately, the head of the self-declared Luhansk People's Republic, east Ukraine's second separatist-held region, also announced an evacuation of residents.