More than 14 thousand people have been evacuated from contested Rubezhnoye to safe locations in the LPR, the Republican Ministry of Emergencies said.
"More than 14 thousand people have arrived in the Republic from Rubezhnoye since March 16," the report reads.
"In Starobelsk and Lugansk, where displaced people, who lost everything, and even families and relatives, are being taken to, they are provided not only with everything they need, but also with care and attention," the Ministry said.
On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation in Donbass to protect residents of the region from Ukrainian aggression and called on Ukrainian troops to leave the combat zone. Earlier, the Heads of the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics, Leonid Pasechnik and Denis Pushilin, requested Russian President Vladimir Putin to provide military assistance.
The Ukrainian government launched the so-called anti-terrorist operation against Donbass in April 2014. The members of the Contact Group have announced ceasefire more than 20 times since the autumn of 2014. Kiev forces regularly violated the truce opening fire with large caliber artillery, mortars and tank guns which were to have been withdrawn from the contact line under the accords. *t
