Reuters: Eastern European countries preparing for new Ukrainian refugee wave in winter

Eastern European countries are getting ready to reopen reception centers and are restocking food supplies in anticipation of a possible new Ukrainian refugee wave amid Russian attacks on Ukraine's power grid and heating plants, Reuters reported on Nov. 9.

On Oct. 25, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk recommended Ukrainians residing abroad to remain outside of the country until spring due to the increased threat of Russian aggression over winter.

"Russia has turned to terrorizing the civilian population," Vereshchuk said.

According to the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR, some 4.5 million Ukrainian refugees are currently registered under various protection schemes across the European Union. The majority are based in states bordering Ukraine, such as Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania.