Ukraine war: 1 million leave in search of refuge as Russians continue bombardment of cities

The number of people sent fleeing Ukraine by Russia's invasion topped 1 million, the swiftest refugee exodus this century, the United Nations said.

Heavy bombardment of urban areas including the capital Kyiv continued early on Thursday, while Russian airborne units have reportedly landed in Kharkiv after several bombings in the city centre the day before, which the regional governor said killed at least 21 people.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday morning the fighting is taking a toll on the morale of Russian soldiers. "These are confused children who have been used," he said.

Follow our live blog below for the latest updates:

A Russian official says troops have taken the Ukrainian port city of Kherson — a claim that the Ukrainian military denies.

The city is under Russian soldiers' "complete control," Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Wednesday.

However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy didn't comment on Thursday on whether the Russians have seized several cities, including Kherson.

"If they went somewhere, it's only temporarily. We'll drive them out," he said.

Sweden says four Russian fighter jets violated its airspace over the Baltic Sea on Wednesday.

The four aircraft — two SU-27 and two SU-24 fighters — flew briefly over the Swedish airspace east of the island of Gotland, according to a statement from the Swedish Armed Forces.

“In light of the current situation we are very concerned about the incident,” Swedish Air Force chief Carl-Johan Edstrom said. “This is unprofessional and irresponsible behavior from the Russian side.”