MOSCOW, June 18 (RIA Novosti) – Russian authorities have estimated there are more than 13,500 Ukrainian refugees in Russia now, a security services source said Wednesday.
"It has been calculated that there are 13,500 refugees now, including over 6,200 children,” the source said. Most of the refugees – more than 8,000 people – are staying at their relatives’," the source said. "The rest of them are in temporary accommodation centers, where they have access to doctors, psychologists, police and immigration services," he added. According to the source, 460 refugees have received medical assistance and over a thousand have used the psychological support.
"A total of 200 temporary shelters for asylum seekers have been prepared, which can accommodate up to 30,000 people," the source said. Earlier it was reported that tens of thousands of people are fleeing war zones in Ukraine and pouring into Russia, but only a few are applying for official refugee status. According to the latest data provided by Russia’s Federal Migration Service, some 4,000 people have applied for refugee status so far.
Violence in southeastern Ukraine has been on the rise since the beginning of a punitive operation launched by Kiev authorities in mid-April that has claimed dozens of civilian lives. Moscow has repeatedly stated that Kiev must stop its military operation and start a direct dialogue with independence supporters.
