Another 515 Ukrainian war refugees have arrived in Greece in the last 24 hours, the Citizen Protection Ministry said Friday. A total of 2,704 Ukrainian refugees have crossed into the country since the beginning of the Russian invasion on February 24.
Most arrived by road, with 430 entering via the Promachonas border post, five from the Evzoni post and 18 from other border crossings. In addition, 57 people arrived at Eleftherios Venizelos airport and five at Makedonia airport in Thessaloniki.
“The arrival of Ukrainian refugees in Greece is continuing but their numbers remain low,” Citizen Protection Minister Takis Theodorikakos told Open TV a day earlier.
“We cooperating closely with the Embassy of Ukraine to facilitate all arriving Ukrainian citizens. Their number may increase in the coming days so that we have significant refugee flows,” he added.
It looks as if the majority of the refugees arriving in Greece find first shelter and accommodation in the homes of relatives and friends already living in the country.
As Russian troops gain ground in southern Ukraine and lay siege to major cities, Athens is continuing efforts to evacuate Greeks from Ukraine and to ensure the protection of those left behind.
With Kherson already having fallen, pressure is mounting on Odessa, while Mariupol, home to a large ethnic Greek community, was left for hours without water, electricity and heating.
The operation to evacuate 82 Greeks who were trapped in Mariupol to the west of Ukraine will continue Friday. The convoy left Mariupol on Wednesday and it is still trying to cross the border with Moldavia on Friday.,
The Greek Migration Ministry issued a guide for Ukrainian refugees on Thursday as the country arranged to grant one-year protection status and the right to work.
