WARSAW, Poland — The U.N. refugee agency says more than 5 million refugees have fled Ukraine since Russian troops invaded the country.
The agency announced the milestone in Europe’s biggest refugee crisis since World War II on Wednesday.
Thirteen million people are believed to be trapped in war-torn areas of Ukraine.
When the number reached 4 million on March 30, the exodus exceeded the worst-case predictions of the Geneva-based U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.
The receiving countries are providing various forms of support, but they are also calling for international help as they face the unprecedented challenge, especially now as Russia has intensified attacks in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region.
More than half of Ukrainian refugees have fled to Poland first.
The mayor of Warsaw says Poland's capital is at capacity and can't house more refugees.