“It was not the easiest night, nor was it the easiest morning. In the course of the past 24 hours, thousands of people have crossed the border,” Viatcheslav Gladkov said in a video message sent via communication channel Telegram. Belgorod, the capital of the region of the same name, is about 70 kilometers from the city of Charkiv as the crow flies. The Ukrainian region of Kharkiv and the Russian region of Belgorod border each other.
Most of those who crossed the border have moved in with relatives living in Russia, Gladkov added. Currently, some 1,340 people reside in 27 temporary shelters in the region. According to the minister, the situation is under control and there are no longer long queues at the border after a difficult night.
ALSO WATCH. Russia withdraws troops around Kharkiv
