Twelve Ukrainians buses carrying more than 500 people are waiting at Durankulak border check point on the border with Romania to be registered for temporary protection.

20,000 Ukrainians have received temporary protection registration within the space of just one week, bringing the total number of refugees from Ukraine up to almost 52,000, data from the Bulgaria for Ukraine portal show. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine close to 160,000 refugees have entered Bulgaria, and almost 73,000 have remained.

The authorities say there has been an increase in the stream of refugees into the EU in the past few days. Colonel Valeri Rachev, head of the crisis centre, pointed out that arrivals from Ukraine will be able to obtain temporary protection status at the border, without registration, for one more week. After that they will have to get registered themselves.