The Governor of Lugansk in eastern Ukraine, Sergei Gaïdaï, said Monday that Russian forces are preparing a "full-scale attack" against Ukrainian troops in the region.

The official said that Russian weapons are arriving from all sides, including men, fuel (...) so "We consider that they are preparing a large-scale attack" he explained, through a video in which he said that the bombardments of Russian forces are getting "stronger and stronger".

"Yesterday [Sunday] night, there was an attempt to invade Rubizhne [near Lugansk], but our defenders repulsed [the attack], neutralized several tanks and there were dozens of bodies of Russian soldiers," he noted.

Following recurring attacks in these regions the ruler called on residents to abandon their homes.

"Please don't hesitate. Today [Monday], a thousand people have been evacuated. Please do not wait for your homes to be bombed," he stressed.

Also the mayor of Borova, a city between Lugansk and Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine, called on citizens to leave the region.

"We are forced to decide on the withdrawal of the population (...) for the safety of citizens. Those who can leave by their own means are encouraged to do so," stressed Alexander Tertychnyï, through a statement posted on the social network Facebook.

Ukrainian authorities noted on Saturday that Russian forces were withdrawing from the northern regions of Ukraine, particularly around Kiev, to move into the east and south of the country.

"The enemy is regrouping his forces with the intention of continuing the offensive (...) in the region of Mariupol [a strategic port city in the southeast] and Kharkiv," Oleksiï Arestovitch, adviser to the Ukrainian presidency, warned on Monday.

Moscow indicated last week that it would now focus its offensive on the Donbass region, where Lugansk is located and which is largely already controlled by the Russian military and separatist allies.