MOSCOW, July 03. /ITAR-TASS/. The Russian Red Cross Society has collected 49 million rubles ($1.4 million) to aid Ukrainian refugees, who fled the embattled regions of the country and are currently sheltered on the territory of Russia, the chief of the Russian society said on Thursday.

“Due to the deteriorating humanitarian situation, the Red Cross announced fund raising to provide assistance,” Raisa Lukutsova said. “Some 2 million rubles [over $58,000] were collected by June 30.”

However, she said the Red Cross’ branch in the southern Rostov Region opened a banking account, which accumulated on Thursday 47 million rubles in charity donations.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets said earlier on Thursday that a total of 65,000 refugees from Ukraine’s embattled southeast, including 20,000 children, are staying in Russia.

Ukrainians continue fleeing the war-torn Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine where the Ukrainian military, units of the National Guard and squads of the Right Sector ultra-rightwing nationalists are conducting a dragged-out punitive operation against the people demanding federalization of the country and greater rights for the native speakers of the Russian language.

Russian Regional Development Minister Igor Slyunyayev said on Monday that the number of Ukrainians arriving in Russia from the war-torn southeast Ukraine may reach 300,000 by the end of this year.