Russian media report that residents of an area in eastern Ukraine held by pro-Moscow separatists have been arriving in Russia daily by bus and train.

Denis Pushilin, a separatist leader in the Donetsk region, announced on Friday a plan to evacuate residents to the southern Russian region of Rostov. He accused the Ukrainian government of preparing to retake their area by force. The Ukrainian government denies the accusation.

The Russian ministry of emergencies has told state-run media that about 61,000 evacuees have so far crossed the border into Russia.

Russian television has shown such people producing their Russian passports for registration before going to accommodations and being served meals.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has thrown his full support behind them, promising each of them an allowance of 10,000 rubles, or about 130 dollars.

Parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine are effectively under the control of pro-Russian separatists. Since 2019, the Putin administration has been issuing Russian passports to residents there. About 700,000 people have so far obtained Russian citizenship.

In a joint statement issued on Saturday, the Group of Seven foreign ministers condemned Russia for going against the spirit of a ceasefire agreement for eastern Ukraine.