Moscow: 5 million residents of our annexed Ukrainian territories

Within hours of the declaration of “emergency” and a state of war in the four regions (Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia), which Russian President Vladimir Putin annexed to Russia last month, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev has confirmed that “There are about five million residents of those regions.” Currently on Russian territory.

After a council meeting on Wednesday, he said that “some five million residents of the Donbass and regions of southeastern Ukraine have taken refuge. in Russia”.

He also added that “with the gradual improvement of security conditions in these areas, the state will provide full assistance for their return to their places of permanent residence “, without specifying when this will happen.

Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry has announced in previously that 4.6 million resident people in Ukraine, including 700,000 children, remained in Russia since the start of the military operation on February 24.

While about four thousand people have arrived in the Russian interior in the last 24 hours, according to the same source.

tense situation

These statements came as Kherson faced a tense situation after pro-Moscow authorities urged residents to leave the city.

Interestingly, Putin announced on September 30, during a massive celebration in Red Square in central Moscow, that the four regions had been included, stressing at the time that this decision was irreversible and declaring residents of those regions Russian citizens.

However, this passage sparked widespread criticism and international assurances that this decision would not change anything internationally, especially because it was null and void and contrary to international law, especially since the referendums that were held in those areas were held under “the pressure of the Russian occupation”.