Since the beginning of 2015, 60 Russian citizens have requested political asylum in Ukraine, Director of the Refugees and Foreigners Department of the State Migration Service of Ukraine Natalia Naumenko has said.

"There are 60 applications as of today," she said during a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine of Friday.

According to her, these were only applications, as the Migration Service hasn't reviewed every case.

Deportment Director also said that in 2014, 130 Russians were granted refugee status.

Naumenko added that the Migration Service hadn't registered the considerable increase of applications for political asylum, however the reasons for such applications has changed. If earlier the majority of such applications were filed by Russians arrested in Ukraine who were awaiting extradition to Russia, the majority of the applications are now being filed due to the threat of political persecution, as applicants participated in Euromaidan events or actively supported Ukraine while living in Russia.