Scores of Ukrainians cross border into Moldova

Moldovan authorities have set up two humanitarian centres in the northern villages of Palanca and Ocnita, where refugees from Ukraine are offered "basic humanitarian, legal and food assistance" for 72 hours. Medical staff and social workers will be available, the interior ministry said.

Authorities said that those arriving from Ukraine will not need to show COVID-19 passes, while minors just need to show a birth certificate. Moldova, a non-NATO country which shares a long border with Ukraine, has implemented a series of measures to deal with a sharp influx of refugees as many Ukrainians are fleeing Russia's attacks.

At one border point in the south, border police on Friday reported queues eight kilometers (five miles) long. The country's president said that in the last 24 hours, 16,000 Ukrainians seeking safety has entered Moldova. Neighbouring Romania, a NATO member since 2004, is also seeing an influx of refugees from Ukraine. Its interior minister on Friday said that in the last 24 hours, 10,624 Ukrainians had entered Romania, with 3,660 of them moving on to other countries, and that just 11 had requested political asylum.