Romania’s defense minister Vasile Dîncu on Thursday said Romania would set up about half a dozen points along its border with Ukraine to receive refugees fleeing a Russian invasion.
Thousands of Ukrainians flocked to the Romanian border Thursday. They drove to the Vama Siret crossing in northwest, Agerpres news agency reported. Only women and children were allowed to leave the country and Ukrainian men with residence in other countries.
„Everyone’s scared and fleeing, to relatives, or to homes in thee mountains. They are hiding,” an Ukrainian woman told Agerpres.
„We are in a state of vigilance, we have not changed the state of alert from this point of view”, the minister said, saying there were not large numbers of refugees.
„The Romanian public can rest assured we do not have any indication about a possible conflict on Romanian territory, but we must prepare for any situation,” the minister told Digi 24.
Romania has a 600-kilometer border with Ukraine.
Mr Dincu said there were plans to set up “six or seven” refugee reception centers in border counties. Other European Union countries have also promised support. NATO troops can also offer logistical support, he said.
“They have specialists who manage refugee flows. We have all the materials ready for this, we have activated these points,” he said.
Romania is preparing to receive up to half a million potential refugees from Ukraine in case of a Russian invasion, the minister said on Tuesday.
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