Spanish village changes its name to Ukraine in show of solidarity

Streets in Fuentes de Andalucia have also been renamed City of Kyiv, Odesa and Mariupol

Spanish village changes its name to Ukraine in show of solidarity (REUTERS)

A village in southern Spain has changed its name to Ukraine in solidarity as the country enters two months of war with Russia.

No longer Fuentes de Andalucia, the village entrance sign now reads Ukraine and the country’s blue and yellow flag has been painted alongside.

Streets have been renamed City of Kyiv, Odesa and Mariupol in the village of more than 7,100 inhabitants east of Seville.

“The main objective is to raise awareness about the conflict in Ukraine but also about where countries are at war in current times,” resident Francisco Martinez said as he stood in City of Kiev street.

A cyclist rides past a street sign that reads 'City of Kyiv Street' after it was changed from the original name (REUTERS)

Mr Martinez said the name change was more than a gesture as the villagers had also raised €3,500 (£2,900) within two days towards a planned refugee centre.

The village wants to offer homes to up to 25 refugees at the centre or with families.

Rafael Osuna, 6, said he would take a Ukrainian couple into his house.

“The people of Fuentes are very proud of what we are doing,” he said. “As I live alone and have a big house I have thought of taking in a Ukrainian couple for a while.”

A sign that reads, ‘Square of Mariupol’, is pictured after it was changed from the original name, ‘Square of Spain’ (REUTERS)

More than 3 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion, according to new estimates.

The figure surpassed 3 million on Tuesday, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), who warned millions more could be affected if the war being waged in eastern Europe continues.

Out of the 3 million refugees to have fled into neighbouring countries, more than 157,000 of these are not Ukrainian citizens, according to IOM estimates.

UN officials have called it the largest refugee crisis in the continent since the Second World War.

According to the UNHCR, those fleeing early in the conflict mostly had resources and contacts outside Ukraine, but now many of the refugees are leaving in a hurry and more vulnerable.

“We see a lot of elderly people and a lot of persons with disabilities, really people who were expecting and hoping until the last moment that the situation would change,” Tatiana Chabac, a UNHCR aid worker, said.

The Independent has a proud history of campaigning for the rights of the most vulnerable, and we first ran our Refugees Welcome campaign during the war in Syria in 2015. Now, as we renew our campaign and launch this petition in the wake of the unfolding Ukrainian crisis, we are calling on the government to go further and faster to ensure help is delivered. To find out more about our Refugees Welcome campaign, click here. To sign the petition click here. If you would like to donate then please click here for our GoFundMe page.