66,000 Ukrainians return to country, looking to fight against Russia's invasion: Ukraine Defence Minister

Ukrainians are fleeing Russian bombardment, hoping to reach safety in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania. But there's traffic going the opposite way as well. Some Ukrainians who managed to escape the war are now returning home, back into harm's way.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on Saturday that 66,224 Ukrainian men had returned from abroad to join the fight against Russia's invasion.

"That's how many men returned from abroad at this moment to defend their country from the horde. These are 12 more combat and motivated brigades! Ukrainians, we are invincible," Reznikov said in an online post.

Much of the invasion's analysis has focused on the relatively small size of the Ukrainian military, compared to Russia's. While still dwarfed by Russian forces, these volunteers will undoubtedly help Ukraine, which needs all the help it can get.

Most of the Ukrainians living across Europe who are returning to their homeland to fight the Russian invasion have no combat experience, little to no training, and only a few have their own weapons, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Poland's border guard estimated Sunday that since the start of the invasion roughly 22,000 people have crossed its border into Ukraine to join the fray, AP reported.

The Czech Republic, which doesn't border Ukraine but has a large Ukrainian population, is preparing to distribute bonuses to financially support Ukrainian families in the country who may lose income if family members leave to join the fight against Russia's invasion. The Czech Republic's state-run railway will also allow Ukrainians traveling back to Ukraine to take any train free of charge.

Some Ukrainians living in Ireland have also been flying out to Poland, with plans to drive to Ukraine from Krakow and take part in the fight, RTE reported.