Pro-Russian separatist rebels order evacuation over ‘risk of attack by government forces’
The Russian state of Rostov, which borders Ukraine, has welcomed some 40,000 refugees from the Donbas region, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Management said on the 20th (local time).
According to Interfax news agency, the head of the emergency department, Aleksandr Chupriyan, explained to reporters the evacuation of refugees from the Donbas region (Donetsk Oblast and Lugansk Oblast) to Russia that day.
“The refugees were held in 92 make-up camps,” he said, adding that about 2,000 refugees were also sent to nearby Voronezh and Kursk states.
The Rostov region declared a state of emergency on the previous day in response to the massive influx of refugees.
At the direction of President Vladimir Putin, the provincial government is providing aid to refugees by providing a subsidy of 10,000 rubles (about 150,000 won) per person and providing free mobile phone SIM cards.
Pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk and Lugansk provinces, located in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, called themselves the “Donetsk People’s Republic” (DPR), claiming that they would become independent after Russia annexed Crimea that belonged to Ukraine based on the results of a referendum in 2014. ) and the establishment of the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR).
Both republics are home to a large number of Russian nationals or residents of Russian descent who have received passports from the Russian government.
It is estimated that there are hundreds of thousands of Russian nationals.
The DPR and LPR have been fighting for independence against the Ukrainian government since the declaration of independence in 2014.
Amid growing fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, it has been reported that the Ukrainian government forces have been engaged again since the 17th.
The DPR and LPR governments later ordered residents in their jurisdictions to evacuate to Russia, citing the risk of a large-scale attack by government forces.
Since then, local authorities have started transferring refugees, mainly children, women, and the elderly, and Russia, which supports DPR and LPR, has opened its borders and accepted them.
DPR said it would deport up to 700,000 residents of the province to Russia.
/yunhap news
ⓒ Hankyung.com, unauthorized reprinting and redistribution prohibited
