Russian war in Ukraine: breaking news and invasion news

As Ukrainian forces have been celebrating what they say is the recapture of a town west of Kyiv, the mayor of a town east of the capital is asking residents to leave. “There is no urgent need to be in the city at the moment. The fighting is already raging in the region. I appeal to the population: be smart and leave the city if you can,” Boryspil Mayor Volodymyr Borysenko said. in a video posted on Facebook. Borysenko said authorities would assist in the evacuation of those without their own vehicles, adding that there were almost daily moves to western Ukraine, where Russian attacks have been much smaller in number. “As practice shows, in cities where fighting is taking place, the fewer civilians there are in the city, the easier it is for the armed forces to act. [ucranianas]”said the mayor. According to the United Nations, at least ten million people have fled their homes after the Russian invasion, which began almost four weeks ago. That figure represents almost a quarter of the country’s population, which the World Bank estimated at 44 million people in 2020. Of those who have left their homes, the majority —6.48 million as of March 16, according to figures provided by the International Organization for Migration this Friday— have been internally displaced.