The UN estimated that 4 million refugees would flee Ukraine by July. It only took 5 weeks.

• Over 4 million Ukrainians have fled their homes since Russian forces invaded nearly five weeks ago.
• Earlier this month, the United Nations estimated that there could be 4 million refugees by July.

More than 4 million people have fled Ukraine since Russian forces invaded the eastern European country nearly five weeks ago, according to the latest figures from the United Nations' Refugee Agency.

Half of those fleeing Ukraine are children, the UN said, as it continues to push for a humanitarian ceasefire.

The massive exodus of refugees abandoning their war-ravaged homes has already surpassed an estimate from a UN report on March 1 that said there could be up to 4 million refugees by July — nearly three months from now.

At the time, the UN said the crises could trigger an "overwhelming" situation. And just last week, the UN's International Organization for Migration said the refugee crises had already exceeded the "worst-case scenario."

On Tuesday, the International Organization for Migration said another 6.5 million people are displaced within Ukraine, pushing the total number of individuals forced from their homes at over 10.5 million.

The majority of refugees who fled across Ukraine's borders have gone to Poland, while others arrived in Romania, Moldova, Hungary, and Slovakia, the Refugee Agency said on Wednesday.

The Biden administration last week announced a plan to resettle up to 100,000 Ukrainians and others who are fleeing Russia's attack, and said the US would provide over $1 billion in humanitarian assistance for people affected by the war.

Meanwhile, Russian forces have continued to bombard Ukrainian cities. The UN said on Wednesday it has recorded over 3,000 civilian casualties, including 1,189 deaths.

The UN said that the actual death toll is "considerably higher," as it's been difficult to gather information from areas where intense fighting is ongoing.

Following a fresh round of peace negotiations on Tuesday, Russia's defense ministry said it would scale down assaults near the capital city Kyiv after saying it would redirect its focus on the eastern Donbas region.

But the US expressed deep skepticism of such claims.

Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said during a Tuesday briefing that any Russian troop movement is likely a repositioning, rather than an actual withdrawal, and warned of major offenses in other parts of Ukraine

"Russia has failed in its objective of capturing Kyiv, it's failed in its objective of subjugating Ukraine, but they can still inflict massive brutality on the country, including in Kyiv," Kirby said.