Moscow is considering helping with the evacuations of citizens from several African countries enrolled in Ukrainian universities, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Thursday.

According to Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry has no information about African nationals applying for permission to cross the border of the People's Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk with Russia. 

African nationals have been suffering from blatant racism in Ukraine when it came to evacuations, as they faced arrests, physical assault, and they were pushed to the back of the line when it came to evacuations.

"At the same time, the diplomatic missions of some African states have applied to the Russian Foreign Ministry with a request to organize the evacuation of their citizens, students who were studying in Ukrainian higher education institutions," Zakharova told a press briefing.
 
She added that the foreign ministry was reviewing the matter with the ministry of defense.

Russia had for months been warning of the threat posed against it by NATO's attempts to expand eastward, which happened simultaneously with an increase in NATO military activity along Russia's borders, and batches of lethal weapons being sent to Ukraine, prompting Russia to request security guarantees from the West. Washington failed to provide the guarantees.

After the West did not respond to Russia's demands, and amid Ukrainian shelling on the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, President Vladimir Putin initiated a special military operation in Donbass.