MOSCOW, April 23. /ITAR-TASS/. Pension allowances paid to the population of Crimea and Sevastopol in April were 25% up their former pensions in Ukraine, Russian Minister of Labor Maxim Topilin said at a meeting of the Board of the Pension Fund on Wednesday.

In May the pension allowances paid in Crimea and Sevastopol will be 50% up the "Ukranian" pensions, the minister said.

For the time being pensions have been paid through social welfare departments earlier established in Crimea and Sevastopol; territorial departments of the Russian Pension Fund are being established yet. A bill has been drafted to regulate conversion of "Ukranian" pensions into Russian pensions, the minister said.