UN says 110,000 Ukrainians fled for Russia this yearJune 27, 2014 - 17:09 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Some 110,000 Ukrainians have fled this year for Russia and another 54,000 have fled their homes but stayed in the country, the UN refugee agency said Friday, June 27, according to the Associated Press. Only 9,500 of those fleeing for Russia have sought refugee status but many others are too afraid of future reprisals if they do return to Ukraine to make a formal request, said agency spokeswoman Melissa Fleming, citing official Russian figures and other UN information. Another 750 Ukrainians have requested refugee status in Poland, Belarus, Czech Republic and Romania, according to UN figures. The number of those internally displaced in Ukraine represents a huge increase since last week. Some 12,000 of them are from Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in March, and the rest are from eastern Ukraine. Inside Ukraine, the single largest concentration of refugees is in the town of Svyatogorsk in the Donetsk region, which has declared independence from the government in Kiev. "The rise in numbers of the past week coincides with a recent deterioration of the situation in eastern Ukraine," said Fleming. "Displaced people cite worsening law and order, fear of abductions, human rights violations and the disruption of state services." Many of the latest Ukrainians arriving are clustered in Russia's Rostov-on-Don region, where 12,900 refugees including 5,000 children have fled, and in Bryansk, which has 6,500 refugees. In Rostov, the refugees are being housed in public buildings and tented camps. Most of those in Bryansk are staying with relatives or friends. Photo: Reuters Related links: Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Mirzoyan says meeting with Bayramov was “constructive” At the moment, Ararat Mirzoyan said, there is no basis for additional comments. OSCE vows support for Armenia “in all three directions of security” Achieving stable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan remains a priority of the OSCE, said Ian Borg. 151 detained as civil disobedience campaigns continue in Yerevan Citizens have been blocking streets in the Armenian capital, demanding Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation. France welcomes Armenia-Azerbaijan meeting in Almaty France has welcomed the new round of negotiations between the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. |