KYIV, 20 April 2022, (TON): United Nations said “sounding alarm at the rapid exodus and voicing concern that the situation may worsen. UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, said 4,980,589 Ukrainians had left since Russia invaded on February 24, a figure up 46,174 on total.”

The UN’s International Organization for Migration says nearly 215,000 third-country nationals, largely students and migrant workers, have also escaped to neighbouring countries, meaning around 5.2 million people in all have fled Ukraine since the war began.

Officials call it the fastest-growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.

“The key is that the borders remain open, people can access safety and when they get to the neighbouring countries they have access to assistance,” UNHCR spokeswoman Shabia Mantoo told reporters in Geneva.

Russia’s defence minister said “Moscow was seeking to liberate east Ukraine and the ministry” said “Moscow launched dozens of air strikes across eastern Ukraine overnight.”

Kyiv accuses Russian forces of unleashing a major new offensive in the Donbas region.

“We’re watching with concern to see what will happen but it’s quite alarming that within the space of a Mantoo said “few weeks, we are approaching five million refugees from Ukraine.”