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Over 20,500 Donbass residents cross Russian border in Rostov Region in 24 hours

Since February, almost 2.5 mln citizens of the DPR and LPR had crossed the Russian border in the Rostov Region

ROSTOV-ON-DON, August 9. /TASS/. More than 20,500 citizens of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics crossed the Russian border in the Rostov Region over the past 24 hours, the press service of the regional branch of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Over 20,500 people crossed the border to enter Russia through checkpoints in the Rostov Region in the past 24 hours," the statement reads.

Earlier reports said almost 2.5 mln citizens of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics had crossed the Russian border in the Rostov Region since February.

The situation on the line of engagement in Donbass escalated on February 17. At that time, Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics reported the heaviest shelling by the Ukrainian military in months, which damaged civilian infrastructure and caused civilian casualties. President Putin said in a televised address on the morning of February 24 that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics, he had made a decision to carry out a special military operation.