Most Ukrainian Refugees Expect To Stay In Host Countries Until Hostilities Subside

Ukrainian refugees from the Mariupol region board a bus bound for Poland in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine.

The UN refugee agency said a survey shows that about two-thirds of Ukrainians expect to stay in their host countries until hostilities subside back home, but most hope to eventually return.

"They are anxious to reunite with friends and family and worry about those who stayed behind. Most want to wait until hostilities have subsided [before returning]," the UNHCR report released on July 13 said.

Most of the refugees are women and children, as military-aged men were generally not allowed to leave their home country by Ukrainian authorities.

The survey questioned about 4,900 people from Ukraine now living in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia. It was conducted between mid-May and mid-June.

In total, UNHCR said 5,650,272 Ukrainian refugees are now residing across Europe. Nearly 8.8 million people crossed out of Ukraine and nearly 3.3 million crossed back in since the Russian invasion on February 24.

UNHCR said a higher proportion of refugees from the capital, Kyiv, and areas in the west were planning to return than those who arrived from areas where the Russian military has been more active.

Based on reporting by Reuters