Donbass refugees arrive in Russia's Volgograd region

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According to regional officials, the first train bringing refugees from Donbass landed in Russia's Volgograd area on Sunday, and 443 people were transported to temporary shelters.

In a statement, authorities divulged that up to 443 persons are being delivered to temporary accommodation centers, including 166 children under 14 and nine newborns. 

According to the announcement, temporary housing centers have been established at Volgograd hotels and a health facility.

Earlier today, more than 40,000 refugees arrived in the Rostov region, south of Russia, from the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics to the east of Ukraine.

Some of the most intensive shelling by Kyiv forces during the recent months took place on the morning of February 17, while the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) and Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) announced a general mobilization in the two republics.

According to Sputnik, on Sunday, volleys of artillery could be heard from the heart of Lugansk, with no information yet on what facilities were targeted.

Ukraine's military forces are stockpiling heavy weapons along the contact line in Donbas, according to the spokesperson for the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic.

Ivan Filiponenko told reporters, "Our intelligence service detects a build-up of heavy artillery and its active use during fire missions at night."

The speaker also stated that Kyiv is planning to launch hostilities along the Donbass contact line.

Filiponenko described the situation as "extremely tense," adding that "our intelligence detects measures taken by the opponent to prepare for the escalation of the conflict and the outbreak of hostilities along the entire contact line."

"We do not rule out that in the near future armed formations of Ukraine will undertake a number of provocations aimed at further escalation of the conflict and the continuation of the genocide of the Donbass people."