WASHINGTON 

Thousands of people have applied to the Ukrainian embassy in Washington, D.C. in a bid to join the fight against Russia along with the Ukrainian army.

A military official at the embassy told Anadolu Agency that they received more than 3,000 emails from those who wanted to go to Ukraine.

"We replied to them and asked them to fill in an application form. After, we will screen all applications and check who is capable to go. We are in the process now," said the official, who asked not to be named.

Less than half of those who sent emails filled in their applications, according to the official.

The applicants included former military officials and civilians who wanted to help the Ukrainian people with humanitarian issues.

The official also praised the international support for Ukraine, including that of Turkiye, which the official called "inspiring."

"We receive both material and moral support," the official said. "Turkish support, in particular, is of high value for us."

"We are committed to defending our country," the official added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday that 16,000 foreign troops were on their way to Ukraine to join the war against Russian forces. On Thursday, the first batch of fighters arrived in Ukraine to defend the country against Russia, according to Zelenskyy.

Russia's war on Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, has been met with international outrage, with the European Union, US, and UK among others implementing tough financial sanctions on Moscow.

According to UN figures, 227 civilians have been killed and 525 injured in Ukraine since the start of the war. Ukrainian authorities, however, put the death toll at over 2,000.

More than 1 million people have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries, according to the UN Refugee Agency.

*Servet Gunerigok in Washington​​​​​​​ D.C. contributed to this story