Russia-Ukraine war: Russian FM claims over 1mn people evacuated to Russia since Feb 24

As Moscow-Kyiv war continues to escalate despite global attempts and appeals to stop Russian aggression, Foreign Minister of Russia, Sergei Lavrov has claimed that over 1 million individuals have been "evacuated" from war-torn Ukraine to Russia since war commenced on February 24. Russian minister me se remarks after a statement was released by ministry on early Saturday.  

According to Lavrov, Russia's interdepartmental coordination offices for humanitarian response have received requests to provide help in removing 2.8 million people to Russia, including 16,000 foreign citizens and UN and OSCE international mission staff, Guardian reported. Furrmore, foreign minister told China's Xinhua news agency, “In total, 1.02 million people were evacuated from Ukraine, DPR and LPR, of which over 120 thousand citizens of third countries.” 

In dition to this, on April 23, Saturday, Mikhail Mizintsev, chief of Russian Federation's National Defense Control Center, reported that 16,838 individuals, including 1,402 children, were evacuated to Russia from unsafe zones of Ukraine without cooperation of Ukrainian authorities, Interfax reported. He went on to say that a total of 951,329 individuals, including 174,689 children, h been evacuated to Russia. 

Meanwhile, on or hand, Ukraine has claimed that thousands of civilians have been forcibly evacuated to Russia with humanitarian corridors constantly breaking down, Guardian reported. According to United Nations estimates, over 5.4 million people have fled Ukraine to or neighbouring nations to seek security since invasion began. 

Sergei Lavrov accuses NATO of meddling with political settlement in Ukraine

Apart from this, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused NATO of meddling with political settlement in Ukraine. Lavrov also stated that Nato members are "doing everything" possible to prevent Russian special military operation from being completed and political accords from being reached. 

Furr, Lavrov went on to say that Kyiv's Western allies are using violent 'rhetoric' and provocative tactics. Russian foreign minister said, as quoted by Guardian, “y actually encourage him to ‘fight to last Ukrainian’, pumping up country with weapons and sending mercenaries re. I note that Ukrainian special services, with help of Westerners, staged a crude bloody provocation in Bucha, including to complicate negotiation process". 

Moscow does not consider itself at war with NATO over Ukraine, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who spoke to Al Arabiya News. NATO, it appears, believes itself to be at war with Russia, Lavrov said as conflict in Ukraine entered its ninth week.