About five million people from the four parts of Ukraine that Moscow claimed to have annexed have left for Russia, a security official said on Wednesday, according to Russian state news agencies.
“About five million residents of Donbass and southeastern Ukraine have found shelter in Russia,” Russian Secretary of the National Security Council Nikolai Patrushev said, referring to the regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporijia.
He gave no details on how or when they arrived in the country. Patrushev said those arriving from Moscow-controlled areas “will continue to receive special attention.”
Nikolai Patrushev also said Moscow planned to help them return to their homes after “safe conditions were created in these regions”.
In a separate military update on Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry said 4.6 million Ukrainians — including 700,000 children — have arrived in Russia since the offensive began in Moscow on Feb. 24. According to the military, 4,000 have arrived in the past 24 hours. From the outset of the offensive, Kiev accused Moscow of deporting its citizens, following a Soviet-era practice.
Source: DN
