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MEDYKA, Poland (AP) — Dragging suitcases and carrying youngsters, tens of hundreds of Ukrainians rushed to the borders Saturday as invading Russian troops pressed their advance into Ukraine, transferring towards the nation’s capital of Kyiv.
Almost 120,000 folks have to this point fled Ukraine into Poland and different neighboring international locations within the wake of the Russian invasion, the U.N. refugee company mentioned Saturday. Some walked many miles by way of the night time whereas others fled by prepare, automotive or bus, forming strains miles lengthy at border crossings. They have been greeted by ready kinfolk and pals or headed on their very own to reception facilities organized by neighboring governments.
“This may occasionally go up, it’s altering each minute,” mentioned Shabia Mantoo, the spokeswoman of the U.N. Excessive Commissioner for Refugees. “It’s very fluid and altering by the hour.”
The company expects as much as 4 million Ukrainians may flee if the state of affairs deteriorates additional.
These arriving have been principally ladies, youngsters and the aged after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy banned males of navy age from 18 to 60 from leaving. Some Ukrainian males have been heading again into Ukraine from Poland to take up arms towards the Russian forces.
In distinction to different conflicts across the globe, Russia’s unprovoked assault on the Western-looking democracy has ignited an enormous outpouring of help for the fleeing Ukrainians. This included an unconditional welcome from nations like Poland and Hungary that didn’t need to settle for these fleeing battle and poverty within the Center East and Africa.
Common folks have been additionally opening up their properties to refugees and volunteering at welcome facilities. In Poland, a Fb web page was shaped the place folks have been provided rides in personal automobiles from the border and different assist.
Volunteers even got here from elsewhere in Europe to select up refugees, amongst them a German couple from Hamburg who held up an indication on the Polish border city of Medyka saying they may take three folks residence with them.
“Our nation just isn’t doing something, and we felt we wanted to do one thing,” mentioned Tanja Schwarz, 51.
Regardless of the goodwill, the crush of individuals grew to become a really actual ordeal.
Jeremy Myers, from Manchester, England, was on trip in Ukraine together with his Ukrainian girlfriend when the battle began. They fled Kyiv and waited 23 hours in a fenced-off space the place there was no meals or water and which was managed by armed guards on the Ukrainian aspect.
He witnessed folks combating, getting crushed and a lady who fainted.
“We noticed a number of folks get injured, there have been no bogs, there was no medical help,” he mentioned. “You needed to stand the place you have been as a result of if you happen to didn’t you misplaced your house in line.”
One household from Chernivtsi in western Ukraine waited 20 hours earlier than having the ability to cross the border into Siret in northern Romania. Natalia Murinik, 14, cried as she described saying goodbye to grandparents who couldn’t go away the nation.
“It actually damage, I need to go residence,” she mentioned.
The biggest numbers have been arriving in Poland, the place 2 million Ukrainians have already settled to work lately, pushed away by Russia’s first incursion into Ukraine when it annexed Crimea in 2014 and searching for alternatives within the booming financial system of the European Union neighbor.
Poland’s authorities mentioned Saturday that greater than 100,000 Ukrainians had crossed the Polish-Ukrainian border up to now 48 hours alone. Poland declared its border open to fleeing Ukrainians, even for these with out official paperwork, and dropped its requirement to indicate a damaging COVID-19 take a look at.
The road of autos ready to enter Poland at Medyka stretched many miles into Ukraine.
A lady from Lviv named Lena described seeing toys and heavy baggage alongside the way in which that individuals had deserted. She was bringing her 4 youngsters to security in Poland and deliberate to return to hitch her husband. Like different Ukrainians returning residence as their nation fights Russia, she would solely give her first identify.
Even Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, one among Europe’s most anti-migrant leaders, traveled to the border city of Beregsurany, the place he mentioned Hungary was accepting all residents and authorized residents of Ukraine.
“We’re letting everybody in,” Orban mentioned.
Amongst these arriving at that time have been a Ukrainian-British household with their canines. “We will’t go away our canines,” mentioned Vlasta Terasova, arriving from Uzhhorod.
On Saturday, Poland despatched a hospital prepare to select up these wounded within the battle in Mostyska, in western Ukraine, and convey them to the Polish capital of Warsaw for therapy. The hospital prepare left the border city of Przemysl with 5 carriages to move the wounded and 4 others stocked with humanitarian support for Ukraine’s Lviv district.
Mantoo mentioned most Ukrainians have been heading to neighboring Poland, Moldova, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia however some even fled into Belarus — from which some Russian forces entered Ukraine. Some deliberate to go additional on to different international locations in Europe.
The border put up in Siret was crowded with Ukrainians on Saturday and humanitarian teams arrange tents just a few miles in and provided foods and drinks to these arriving.
Regardless of the welcome, teenager Natalia Murinik’s household did not know the place they have been going subsequent.
“We don’t have a clue. We’re ready for our pals, after which we’ll suppose,” she mentioned.
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Gera reported from Warsaw. Bela Szandelszky in Beregsurany, Hungary; Florent Bajrami in Medyka, Poland; Jamey Keaten in Geneva and Stephen McGrath in Siret, Romania, contributed.
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Observe AP’s protection of the Ukraine disaster at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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