MOSCOW, February 22. /TASS/. About 100,000 residents of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR) have crossed the Russian border in the Rostov Region over the past three days in order to be evacuated, First Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council, Senator from the region Andrey Yatskin said on Tuesday.
"Only in the last three days, about 100,000 people have crossed the border of the Russian Federation in the Rostov Region. Some 15 railway trains left the Rostov Region for other territories of the country, which expressed solidarity in accepting refugees. The flow of refugees is increasing," Yatskin said at a meeting of the Federation Council.
The vast majority of those evacuated from the republics are children, women, and the elderly, they receive the necessary medical and psychological assistance, the senator said.
On February 18, the heads of the LPR and DPR Leonid Pasechnik and Denis Pushilin announced the evacuation of residents of the republics to the territory of Russia, in particular to the Rostov Region, due to the growing threat of hostilities. Later, some other regions of Russia received people from Donbass. On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared recognition of the sovereignty of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics. The treaties on friendship, cooperation, and mutual aid were signed with their leaders.