Ukraine: A major blast has occurred outside the separatist-controlled administration building in the rebel-held city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, Russian state media reported on Friday.

Nobody was injured in the blast, which was caused by a car bomb.

The car belonged to the head of the DNR’s police force.

The incident occurred just hours after the leader of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR), Denis Pushilin, announced that residents would be evacuated from the city to Russia’s Rostov region.

Pushilin said the move was necessary because of an impending attack on the territory.

Ukraine’s pro-western government has vehemently denied the claim and says it has behaved with restraint despite heavy shelling these past days from rebel-held territory.

However, several nations had warned that Russia may trigger a "false flag" incident as a pretext to justify a military attack on Ukraine.

Ukraine’s foreign ministry has called on the international community to condemn what it said were provocations by Russia in separatist-held eastern Ukrainian areas.

The ministry said that a lack of proper reaction, or a neutral position, would lead to more escalation by Russia.

(To be updated)