MOSCOW, July 22. /ITAR-TASS/. The number of Ukrainian refugees to Russia has increased 30% over the last five months; half of the Ukrainian refugees are going to stay in Russia.

A total of 1.96 million Ukrainians are now in Russia, without taking into account Crimea, chief of the Russian Federal Migration Service (FMS) Konstantin Romodanovsky said on Tuesday. The number of fleeing children had more than doubled since February, he added.

More than 515,000 people from southeastern Ukraine have entered Russia and stayed in the country since April 1; more than 80% remains in the border area.

“The incomers are de facto refugees, though they not always apply for this status,” Romodanovsky said.

According to the FMS, more than 42,000 people from 30 countries have requested asylum in Russia this year, more than 95% of this amount - Ukrainian citizens. A total of more than 100,000 Ukrainians are expected to ask for asylum. About 144,000 refugees have turned to the FMS for the official status not linked to employment.

Four hundred temporary settlements are now home to about 26,000 refugees, with more than 10,000 children. Facing the influx, the Russian government allocated $145.3 million to resolve the refugees’ problems on Tuesday.