Polish mayors warn cities reaching capacity as Ukrainian arrivals rise

A Ukrainian man living in Krakow offers free transport to people crossing the border into Poland. Refugees are being encouraged to consider going to smaller towns where ‘there is more space’. Photograph: Kacper Pempel/Reuters

The mayors of Poland’s two largest cities have said they are struggling to cope with the huge number of refugees arriving from Ukraine, as UN figures show more than 1.7 million people have crossed into Poland in the weeks since the Russia’s attack began.

Rafał Trzaskowski, the mayor of Warsaw, said that 300,000 people had arrived in the capital and pledged to continue to support refugees. But, he said on Twitter: “Our city remains the main destination for Ukrainian refugees. [The] situation is getting more and more difficult every day.”