The mayor of the Ukrainian town of Boryspil, a suburb of Kyiv, called on residents to flee ahead of the Russian onslaught.
"As the practice of those cities where hostilities are now underway, the fewer civilians in the city, the easier it is for the Armed Forces to operate. There is no urgent need to remain in the city as firefights are ongoing in the area. I call on the civilian population to be smart, reach out to our call center and leave town as soon as the opportunity presents itself" Borysenko wrote in a Facebook post.
According to reports, Borysenko also said refugees from warring areas would be sent further to the west of the country, where they would be offered "relative safety."