One million people have fled Ukraine after a week of brutal war
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More than one million people have been forced to leave their homes behind since war began in Ukraine.
The exodus was described as the swiftest of its kind this century, the United Nations said, and amounts to more than 2% of the entire population.
The majority of people have entered Poland and there have been desperate scenes on the border and at stations as people try to board what they fear could be the last trains out.
Fighting has continued overnight as the Russian war effort continues to descend from the swift operating Vladimir Putin envisioned into a grinding, brutal conflict.
For the latest updates on the Russia-Ukraine war, visit our live blog: Russia-Ukraine live
Kharkiv has bore the brunt of shelling in recent days and the pulverising of the mainly Russian-speaking city has continued.
According to local media, three schools and the cathedral were hit by rocket strikes overnight.
One video posted on social media showed the ruined remains of what it purported to be a school. It’s unclear if there were casualties.
The assault on the capital city of Kyiv also continued, with several loud explosions reported overnight.
The ministry of defence said a column of Russian soldiers was trying to make advances on the north of the city.
In a video address, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky called on citizens to keep up the resistance, vowing invading forces would have ‘not one quiet moment’ and described Russian soldiers as ‘confused children who have been used’.
The UN refugee agency has predicted that up to four million people will eventually leave the country of 44 million.
Spokesperson Joung-ah Ghedini-Williams wrote: ‘Our data indicates we passed the 1M mark’ as of midnight in central Europe, based on counts collected by national authorities.
On Twitter, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, wrote: ‘In just seven days we have witnessed the exodus of one million refugees from Ukraine to neighboring countries.’
Syria, whose civil war erupted in 2011, currently remains the country with the largest refugee outflows – at more than 5.6 million people, according to UNHCR figures.
But even at the swiftest rate of flight by refugees out of Syria, in early 2013, it took at least three months for 1 million refugees to leave that country.
UNHCR spokesperson Shabia Mantoo said Wednesday that ‘at this rate’ the outflows from Ukraine could make it the source of ‘the biggest refugee crisis this century’.
Russia-Ukraine war: Everything you need to know
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has entered its seventh day, with the attacks beginning on February 24.
Since then, Ukraine has suffered widespread damages and loss of life amid Russia’s major bombing campaign.
The majority of attacks have been focused in the capital city of Kyiv, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is currently based.
Russian President Vladamir Putin is prepared to resume talks with Ukraine tonight in bid to end war, according to a Kremlin spokesperson.
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