Seven children who fled the war in Ukraine were offered a warm welcome by children and staff at an Italian school near Naples.

The Ukrainian refugees were greeted at Gino Auriemma school in Somma Vesuviana by their new schoolmates waving Ukrainian flags and singing peace songs.

Some of the Ukrainian children who were forced to leave their homeland had to leave their pets behind, so the children of Somma Vesuviana offered them goldfish.

"It's a small gesture to make them feel at home," teacher Matilde Cozzolino said.

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Nearby at the Raffele Arfe school, a Ukrainian girl called Sofia was greeted with applause and offered a pink cyclamen plant and a letter written in both Italian and Ukrainian.

"You will look after this plant as we will look after you for the time you are with us," the letter said.

According to a report issued by UNICEF on Tuesday, more than 1.5 million Ukrainian children have fled the country since Russia began its invasion on February 24. That means that on average, more than 75,000 children have become refugees every day in Ukraine since fighting began.