Tens of thousands of Ukrainians, carrying their children and luggage, raced to the border Saturday as Russian troops advanced toward Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine.
According to the U.N refugee agency, at least 150,000 people fled Ukraine and fled to Poland and other countries following the Russian invasion. Many fled walking for miles throughout the night, while others fled by bus, train, or car, creating lines at border crossings that stretched miles. They were welcomed by their relatives and friends, or they headed to the reception centers set up by neighbouring governments.
Joung-ah Ghedini Williams, a spokesperson for the U.N. High Commission for Refugees, stated that “the numbers and the situation are changing minute by minute.” “At least 150,000 people fled, they are refugees from Ukraine.” … It is estimated that at least 100,000 people have been forced to flee Ukraine, but it could be much more.
If the situation worsens, an estimated 4 million Ukrainians may flee.
After the ban on military-age men from 18 to 60 years old by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, most of those who arrived were women, children, and the elderly. Some Ukrainian men were returning from Poland to fight the Russians by heading into Ukraine.
Contrary to other conflicts, Russia’s unprovoked attack against the Western-looking democracy has sparked a massive outpouring in support for the fleeing Ukrainians. These included a warm welcome from countries like Hungary and Poland that refused to accept refugees fleeing poverty and conflict in the Middle East or Africa.
People were also volunteering at refugee centers and opening their homes to refugees. A Facebook page in Poland was created to offer rides for refugees from the border, as well as other assistance.
Volunteers came from all over Europe to help refugees. One example was a couple from Hamburg that held up a sign in Medyka, Poland, stating they would take three people with them.
Tanja Schwarz, 51, stated that “our country isn’t doing anything” and felt the need to take action.
Despite all the goodwill, it became very difficult to manage the crowds.
Jeremy Myers, a Manchester, England resident, was visiting Ukraine with his Ukrainian girlfriend at the time that war broke out. They fled Kyiv, and waited for 23 hours in a closed-off area without food or water. The Ukrainian side had armed guards controlling the area.
He saw people fight, get crushed, and even a woman faint.
He said that he witnessed many people being injured and that there weren’t any toilets or medical help. “You had to stand exactly where you were, or you would lose your place in the line.”
One family from Chernivtsi, western Ukraine, waited for 20 hours to be able cross the border into Siret, northern Romania. Natalia Murinik (14 years old) wept as she described the experience of saying goodbye to her grandparents.
She said, “It really hurts, I want to return home.”
The largest number of Ukrainians arrived in Poland where there are 2 million. They were driven from Russia’s 2014 invasion of Ukraine by the Crimea annexation and looking for employment opportunities in the growing economy of their European Union neighbour.
According to the Polish government, more than 100,000 Ukrainians have crossed the border between Ukraine and Poland in the last 48 hours. The Polish government declared the border open for fleeing Ukrainians and dropped the requirement that they have to submit a negative COVID-19 testing.
The long line of vehicles awaiting entry into Poland at Medyka stretched miles into Ukraine.
Lena, a woman from Lviv, described seeing toys and bags on the road that people had left behind. She was taking her four children to safety in Poland, and she planned to return with her husband. She would only use her first name, as she did with other Ukrainians who return home to fight Russia.
Viktor Orban, the Hungarian Prime Minister, was one of Europe’s most prominent anti-migrant leaders. He visited Beregsurany border town, where he stated that Hungary would accept all legal residents and citizens of Ukraine.
Orban stated, “We’re letting everybody in.”
A Ukrainian-British couple and their dog arrived at the point. Vlasta Terasova arrived from Uzhhorod and said, “We can’t leave our dogs.”
Polish officials sent a hospital train on Saturday to collect the wounded from the war in Mostyska in western Ukraine and transport them to Warsaw, the capital of Poland. Five carriages were used to transport the injured, while four other carriages were stocked with humanitarian aid.
According to the U.N., most Ukrainians are heading towards Poland, Moldova Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Slovakia, and Slovakia. Some even fled to Belarus, where some Russian forces entered Ukraine. Others planned to travel further to Europe.
On Saturday, Siret’s border post was packed with Ukrainians. A few miles away, humanitarian groups set up tents and provided food and drink for those arriving.
Despite being welcomed, Natalia Murinik’s family did not know where to go next.
“We don’t know what to do.” She said, “We’re still waiting for our friends to come along and then we’ll start thinking.”
