UN says more than 2.5 million refugees have left Ukraine

More than 2.5 million Ukrainians have now fled the country, the United Nations reported late Thursday, as Russia continues an attack that is proving to be increasingly deadly for civilians.

The figure, released just past the two-week mark of the invasion, highlights the rapid flight of Ukrainians. U.S. intelligence analysts assessed the crisis could spur anywhere from 1 million to 5 million people to leave the country — a figure likely to be met as Russian continues its march into Ukraine with no end in sight. 

The majority of refugees, roughly 1.5 million people, have headed to Poland.

But many Ukrainians are now internally displaced, fleeing to other regions within the country. 

The U.N. estimates some 1.9 million Ukrainians have been internally displaced, while nearly 13 million have been “directly impacted by the conflict.”

“Food, water, medicines and medical care, shelter, basic household items, blankets, mattresses, cash, building materials, generators and fuel are urgently needed,” Matthew Saltmarsh, spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner on Refugees said in a statement.