1.5M people fled Ukraine since war began: UN refugee head

By Iclal Turan

ISTANBUL (AA) - More than 1.5 million refugees have fled Ukraine into neighboring countries since the war began on Feb. 24, the top UN refugee official said on Sunday.

"More than 1.5 million refugees from Ukraine have crossed into neighbouring countries in 10 days — the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II," Filippo Grandi, UN high commissioner for refugees, wrote on Twitter.

The number is rising steadily, up from 1.2 million as of Friday.

According to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) figures, as of March 5 at least 351 civilians have been killed and 707 others injured in Ukraine since Russia launched the war on its neighbor.

Among the 351 killed were 41 women and 22 children, according to the UN.

Russia's war on Ukraine has been met by outrage from the international community, with the EU, Britain, and US, among others, implementing a range of economic sanctions on Moscow.