Refugees from Ukraine hit 2 million as people flee embattled cities

The Russian onslaught has trapped people inside besieged cities that are running low on food, water and medicine amid the biggest ground war in Europe since World War II.

Lviv: Buses packed with people fleeing the Russian invasion in Ukraine left two embattled cities along safe corridors Tuesday, while officials said the exodus of refugees from the country reached 2 million. The Russian onslaught has trapped people inside besieged cities that are running low on food, water and medicine amid the biggest ground war in Europe since World War II.

Previous attempts to lead civilians to safety have crumbled with renewed attacks. But on Tuesday, a video posted by Ukrainian officials showed buses packed with people moving along a snowy road from the eastern city of Sumy and others leaving the besieged southern port of Mariupol. It was not clear how long the effort would last.

“The Ukrainian city of Sumy was given a green corridor, the first stage of evacuation began,” the Ukrainian state communications agency tweeted. Those buses are headed to other cities in Ukraine, but many people have chosen to flee the country instead.

Safa Msehli, a spokesperson for the UN's International Organisation for Migration, tweeted that 2 million have now fled the country, including at least 100,000 people who are not Ukrainian.

With the invasion well into its second week, Russian troops have made significant advances in southern Ukraine but stalled in some other regions. Ukrainian soldiers and volunteers fortified the capital, Kyiv, with hundreds of checkpoints and barricades designed to thwart a takeover.