The nightmare of the war in Ukraine through the words of refugees – “My life changed in half a day”

The Russian invasion of Ukraine raises fears that up to five million people will leave the country. Already, refugees from Ukraine, including dozens of children and two women with their cats, spent the night at a train station in neighboring Poland having left yesterday to escape the Russian invasion.

“I came from Kiev. I heard explosions next to my building“And I quickly packed my things, I took almost everything with me,” said Olia, 36, a professor at the Kiev Polytechnic who did not want to be named.

Hours after leaving her homeland, Olia was among about 200 Ukrainian citizens who took refuge at the Przemysl train station in southeastern Poland, just a few kilometers from the Ukrainian border.

Mostly women, they occupied almost all the chairs in the corridors of the station or curled up on the yellow campaign beds next to their suitcases, many of them anxiously reading the news from their mobile phones.

“I feel safe here, but I can not really help my relatives and friends. Many of them are in danger and can not leave very quickly “, explains Olia, who plans to travel to Switzerland to stay with her partner, as broadcast by the French Agency and relayed by the Athens News Agency.

“There is a big fight ahead of us. THE Ukraine “It’s not Russia,” he told AFP.

Polish officials, including police and military personnel, were present as soldiers served hot soup.

Those who took refuge at the station were offered a “patzki” – a kind of stuffed donut, which according to Polish tradition is eaten on the last Thursday before the start of Lent.

“My life changed in half a day”

Invasion of Ukraine

Some other officials register citizens and then help them make ticket reservations.

Konstantin walking up and down says that the bombings and other “very terrible things” forced him to leave his country.

“I saw videos and messages from friends and that made me leave. “I am going to a friend in Germany and then I will see what happens,” he told AFP.

“I do not know when I will return to Ukraine because I think the problem for Ukraine is huge and can last for months, maybe years.”says the 25-year-old, who refuses to give his name.

Ukrainian businessman Irina called Russia’s invasion of her country “an act against humanity.”

“My life changed 100% in half a day. But it is very good to know that we have somewhere to go. “Some people have nowhere to go,” the 42-year-old told AFP, also asking for only her first name to be mentioned.

Asked how long he thinks the war will last, he said it is difficult to say, but “clearly I would like world leaders to reach an agreement so that it can end quickly.”

“Ukraine is an independent country, which can not submit to Russia,” he said.

Nearly 11,000 Ukrainians in Romania on the first day of the Russian invasion

At the same time, a total of 10,624 Ukrainians entered Romania yesterday through the six crossing points as Russia invaded Ukraine by land, sea and air, Romanian Interior Minister Lucian Bond said today.

According to Bond, 3,660 of them crossed from Romania on their way to Bulgaria and Hungary. Of the nearly 7,000 currently in Romania, only 11 have applied for political asylum. The rest can legally stay up to 90 days without having to do the same.

At least 100,000 people have been displaced in Ukraine since fleeing their homes, and thousands more have already moved to neighboring countries, including Moldova, Romania and Poland.Sambia Mantou, spokeswoman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told a news conference at the United Nations in Geneva.

Source: News Beast

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