Ukraine refugees near 4 million. Will exodus slowdown last?

MEDYKA, Poland (AP) — The daily number of people fleeing Ukraine has fallen in recent days but border guards, aid agencies and refugees say Russia’s unpredictable war offers few signs whether it’s just a temporary lull or a permanent drop-off.

In the first two weeks after Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24, about 2.5 million people in Ukraine’s pre-war population of 44 million left the country to avoid the bombs and bloodshed. In the second two weeks, the number of Ukrainians leaving were roughly half that.

The total exodus from the war now stands at just over 3.87 million, according to the U.N. refugee agency.

Even if the exodus is slowing now, UNHCR says the war has triggered Europe’s worst refugee crisis since World War II.