UN expecting 8.3 million refugees to leave Ukraine by yearend

BRUSSELS. April 26 (Interfax) - Some 8.3 million refugees may leave Ukraine by the end of this year, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said in a statement.

There is "a projected 8.3 million refugees in neighboring countries, namely Hungary, the Republic of Moldova, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, as well as other countries in the region, including Belarus, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic," the statement said.

According to the statement, over 12.7 million Ukrainians have fled their homes since the beginning of the Russian special operation, including over 5 million who have left Ukraine and 7.7 million internally displaced persons.

In the opinion of office experts, nearly 13 million people have been unable to leave their home regions due to poor security.

The United Nations and partners are seeking $1.85 billion to support these refugees, the statement said.