Thousands flee Ukraine as Russia launches new assault from the sea

Russian forces are closing in on Kyiv as Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine continues.

Kyiv officials warned residents in the capital’s northern Obolon district not to go outside on Friday due to “the approach of active hostilities.”

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense urged people in the area to either take shelter or make petrol bombs to “neutralize the occupier.”

It came as Ukrainian officials blew up bridges leading into Kyiv to prevent Russian troops infiltrating the capital.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said Friday that more than 50,000 Ukrainians have already fled the country since Russia’s unprovoked invasion on Wednesday.

Grandi tweeted from his official UN account that the majority of the refugees have entered Poland and Moldova, with many more expected in the coming days and weeks.

Early estimates of the number of refugees who are expected to leave Ukraine range from around 2 million to as many as 5 million. Either figure would place an intense strain on Ukraine’s neighbors and on the international community.

Departures from Ukraine are complicated by a general mobilization order currently in place that prohibits men between the ages of 18 and 60 from leaving the country.

Many of the main exit routes out of Ukraine are manned by soldiers intent on prohibiting the departure of fighting-aged men.