MOSCOW, March 9. /TASS/. Russia has evacuated more than 179,000 civilians, including 45,000 people, since the beginning of the military operation, Mikhail Mizintsev, chief of Russia’s National Defense Management Center, said on Wednesday.

"During the day, as many as 5,460 people, including 1,125 children, have been evacuated from dangerous zones in various Ukrainian regions without the Ukrainian side’s participation. Since the beginning of the special military operation, more than 179,000 people, including 45,436 children, have been evacuated," he said. "More than 22,000 private cars have crossed the border via checkpoints, including 1,043 during the day."

According to Mizintsev, more than 9,500 temporary accommodations centers are operating in Russia. The centers have all necessary amenities. People are provided with hot meals and medical services.

"In the past day alone, governmental bodies of the Russian Federation, including the inter-agency coordination center on humanitarian response in Ukraine, received requests for evacuation to Russia from 27,439 Ukrainian citizens and foreigners, submitted via various channels," he said.

In his words, the database of those willing to evacuate already lists 2,617,349 people from almost 2,000 Ukrainian cities, towns and villages.

He also stressed that Russia is creating all necessary conditions for peaceful and secure life on Ukrainian territories liberated from neo-Nazis. "The Russian side is creating all necessary conditions for peaceful and secure life on Ukrainian territories liberated from neo-Nazis and in the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics and ensures unimpeded access to humanitarian assistance," he said, adding that Russia’s authorities and various public organizations have prepared more than 16,500 tonnes of humanitarian cargoes.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address on February 24 that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics he had made a decision to carry out a special military operation in order to protect people "who have been suffering from abuse and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years." The Russian leader stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories, its goals were denazification and demilitarization of that country.

When clarifying the unfolding developments, the Russian Defense Ministry reassured that Russian troops are not targeting Ukrainian cities, but are limited to surgically striking and incapacitating Ukrainian military infrastructure. There are no threats whatsoever to the civilian population.