MOSCOW, September 29. /TASS/. Some 4,500 civilians were evacuated from the combat zone in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) as it was liberated from Ukrainian troops, Natalya Nikonorova, deputy head of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, told TASS.

"As many as 4,459 people have been evacuated [from the combat zone in the DPR], including 971 in the Konstantinovka direction. Thirty temporary accommodation centers for 2,574 people have been set up, where 1,721 evacuated citizens, including 89 low-mobility people and 52 children, have been accommodated," the senior Russian senator said.

According to her, temporary accommodation centers have been established across 17 municipalities in the DPR.

From September 23 to September 27, 2022, the DPR and the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) as well as the Kherson Region and the Zaporozhye Region held a referendum where the majority of voters opted to join Russia. On September 30, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the heads of the four regions signed treaties on their accession to Russia. On October 4, 2022, Putin signed laws on the ratification of these treaties. A year later, on September 28, 2023, the Russian president signed a law declaring September 30 as Day of Reunification of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, and the Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions with Russia.