A total of 10,356 people crossed from Ukraine’s Donbas region into Russia as of 10:00 a.m. local time on Saturday, reports the Russian state-run news agency, RIA Novosti, following the decision of the self-declared republics to be supported by Russia. Organizing the evacuation of civilians.
There is no way for CNN to verify the number independently.
RIA Novosti news agency said 4,527 citizens of the Russian Federation, 5,806 citizens of Ukraine and 23 other foreigners crossed, according to what it described as “a source familiar with the situation.” Russian agencies may cite anonymous police and security officials, and CNN has not been able to independently verify these statements.
Earlier Saturday, Deputy Head of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations Viktor Yatsutsenko said: “Seven regions of Russia are ready to accept refugees. They are the Krasnodar Territory, Kursk, Voronezh, Belgorod, Oryol, Bryansk, Moscow regions”, in addition. to the Rostov region bordering Ukraine.
In total, these regions are ready to receive more than 28,900 people, he said, the RIA news agency reported.
“All border checkpoints in the Rostov region are working only for entry into Russia,” the Russian news agency TASS reported on Saturday.
“All checkpoints have been changed only for the entrance to the Russian Federation,” said an official of the FSB’s internal security service, according to TASS.
The evacuation orders were issued on Friday by the leaders of the Donetsk and Luhansk republics, which they claimed were necessary due to an imminent attack by the Ukrainian army.
Ukrainian officials have repeatedly denied the existence of such plans.
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