Winter Weather in Europe Poses Risks for Ukrainian Refugees as They Flee Russian Invasion

Ukrainian refugees fleeing from their war-torn country due to Russia's invasion are experiencing the hazards of the winter weather in Europe-as they attempt to seek shelter in neighboring countries. Hundreds of thousands of refugees from Ukraine are reportedly exposed to freezing temperatures.

Winter Weather in Europe

(Photo : Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP via Getty Images)

Winter weather in Europe has affected the travel of fleeing Ukrainian refugees who are vulnerable to the harsh wintry conditions like heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures, as per AccuWeather.

Europe has already exited from its winter season, which spans from December to February every year. However, the continent is still experiencing wintry conditions such as heavy snowfall and cold temperatures, especially in northern Europe.

Also read: Russia's Attack on Ukraine Raises Risk of Nuclear War: How Bad Will a Nuclear Fallout Be?

The Influx of Ukrainian Refugees

The latest news on Ukrainian refugees affected by the Russian-Ukraine war indicates that it takes several hours and days for some refugees to enter the borders of their destination country. Some refugees are also traveling by foot while some were able to travel by other modes of transport.

According to the Associated Press, the United Nations (UN) estimated that more than 520,000 people have already left Ukraine to flee the Russian invasion which started late last week. The UN highlighted that some refugees cross the borders by foot, while some were carried by cars and buses.

Challenges for Neighboring Countries

The influx of Ukrainian refugees also poses geodemographic, socio-economic, and political challenges not only for Ukraine but also for its neighboring countries. Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia have received some displaced Ukrainians-with the rest continuing to pile up along their borders.

In Poland, the city of Medyka near Ukraine's western border received Ukrainian refugees. The region surrounding Medyka has reportedly experienced cold temperatures over recent days. Moreover, some refugees arrived in the Polish city of Przemysl which is under snowy conditions, as per Reuters.

Russia-Ukraine War

Also called as the Russo-Ukrainian war, Russia invaded Ukraine through a series of airstrikes and artillery on multiple cities in eastern Ukraine and the capital city of Kyiv and its surrounding areas on Thursday, Feb. 24. The invasion came several weeks after tensions built up along the Ukrainian-Russian border.

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine started when President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine's southeastern Crimea region. Since then, a separatist movement grew in Ukraine's Donbas region consisting of so-called Russian-backed separatists.

Ukraine was formerly part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR), also called the Soviet Union, which dissolved in 1991. Ukraine gained its independence following the USSR's dissolution. Over recent years, political analysts have reportedly claimed that Russia is allegedly attempting to take back Kyiv.

Diplomatic Tensions and Nuclear Threat

Diplomatic tensions have also grown between the UN and Russia as the latter has issued a nuclear threat to any countries that would intervene in its so-called "military operation" in Ukraine. So far, no country has intervened in Russia's campaign in Ukraine.

The tensions prompted the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to be on heightened alert. The US and other countries have so far sent aid to Ukraine through military equipment.

Furthermore, the US and its allies have issued economic and financial sanctions to Russia's government officials and businesses, notably those in the oil and banking industry, as a response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as per The Wall Street Journal.

The latest developments surrounding the conflict have raised concerns of a potential nuclear war-whose likelihood has been slightly stalled since the Cold War; after the formation of the UN and the NPT (Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons) where the US and Russia are members of.