MOSCOW, February 21. /TASS/. Almost 400 temporary accommodation centers, ready to receive 42,000 people overall, have been prepared for refugees from the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics in 43 Russian regions, the press service of the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations told TASS on Monday.
"The accommodation of refugees from the Donetsk and Lugansk republics continues in the Russian Federation. Overall, almost 400 temporary accommodation centers have been prepared in 43 regions, with a total capacity of 42,000 people," the press service said.
"Another 149 temporary accommodation centers for over 54,000 people were prepared as a reserve," it added.
Overall, about 10,000 evacuees have been accommodated in four Russian regions, with over 4,500 children among them. "Convoys of the Noginsk and Tula rescue centers have delivered to the Rostov Region three more such camps with a capacity of 400 people," Acting Minister for Emergency Situations Alexander Chupriyan said.
Alexander Chupriyan said earlier that around 61,000 evacuees from the Donbass republics had arrived in Russia since Friday evening. Following a dramatic deterioration of the situation in Donbass, the self-proclaimed republics on Friday announced evacuation of civilians to Russia. Several Russian regions have said they are ready to provide accommodations to the evacuees from Donbass. Russian President Vladimir Putin decreed to pay lump-sum allowances of 10,000 rubles (129.4 US dollars) to refugees from Donbass.