Almost 2,000 Ukrainian citizens cross into Moldova on Thursday

CHISINAU. Feb 24 (Interfax) - Nearly 2,000 Ukrainian citizens have crossed into Moldova on Thursday, Moldovan Interior Minister Anna Revenko said at a press briefing.

"More than 1,900 Ukrainian citizens have arrived in the Moldovan territory, and five of them have requested protection from our state," Revenko said.

The Moldovan Interior Ministry's national coordination center has commenced operation, Revenko said. "The primary objective of the coordination center is to deal with a large influx of migrants from Ukraine," she said.

A convoy of the Interior Ministry's Emergency Situations Department has been sent to the Ukrainian border to help the arriving persons. Distribution centers will open at checkpoints, and the arriving people will be provided with food and tea.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu said earlier that Moldova was ready to take in tens of thousands of Ukrainian citizens if necessary.

Given the Ukraine situation, the Moldovan government will ask the parliament on Thursday to declare a state of emergency in Moldova.