Three years of reporting, funded by our readers — become a member now and help us prepare for 2025.
Goal: 1,000 new members for our birthday. Gift a membership to your friend and help us prepare for what 2025 might bring.
Become a member Gift membership
Skip to content
Edit post

Ukrainians flee war by train, car, on foot

by Kostyantyn Chernichkin March 3, 2022 1:47 AM 2 min read
Ukrainians fleeing the war to Poland have a warm meal near the Lviv train station on Feb. 27, 2022. (Kostyantyn Chernichkin)
This audio is created with AI assistance

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), over 836,000 people have left Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion on Feb. 24.

With Russian troops shelling Ukrainian cities, hitting schools, kindergartens and nurseries, hundreds of thousands of people are fleeing to Ukraine's westerns frontiers.

Despite Ukrainian western neighbors – Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Moldova – welcoming all those in need, the country's border checkpoints have failed to accustom unprecedented numbers.

Ukrainian families spend hours, sometimes days, in traffic at the border, while those seeking to leave by train overcrowd Ukrainian railway stations.

“At this rate, the situation is set to become Europe’s largest refugee crisis this century,” UNHCR spokesperson Shabia Mantoo said on March 1.

The Kyiv Independent publishes a series of photos from the train station in the western Ukrainian city Lviv, which became the main destination for those seeking evacuation within Ukraine, and the Rava Ruska border crossing point with Poland.

Ukrainians fleeing the war to Poland cram the Lviv train station on Feb. 28, 2022. (Kostyantyn Chernichkin)
Ukrainians board a train to Poland at the Lviv train station on Feb. 28, 2022. (Kostyantyn Chernichkin)
Lviv has become the main destination for Ukrainians who seek to evacuate from the war-hit eastern cities but stay in Ukraine. (Kostyantyn Chernichkin)
A family waits for their train at the Lviv train station on Feb. 27, 2022. (Kostyantyn Chernichkin)
Ukrainians fleeing the war eat the meals offered by volunteers near the Lviv train station on Feb. 27, 2022. (Kostyantyn Chernichkin)
A volunteer feeds refugees as they wait for to cross the border with Poland at the checkpoint in Rava Ruska, Ukraine on Feb. 26, 2022. (Kostyantyn Chernichkin)
Ukrainian refugees walk towards the Rava Ruska border checkpoint to cross into Poland on Feb. 26, 2022. (Kostyantyn Chernichkin)
People crossing the border by car wait in a 30-kilometer-long line near the border checkpoint near the Polish border at Rava Ruska, Ukraine on Feb. 26, 2022. (Kostyantyn Chernichkin)
Three years of reporting, funded by our readers.
Millions read the Kyiv Independent, but only one in 10,000 readers makes a financial contribution. Thanks to our community we've been able to keep our reporting free and accessible to everyone. For our third birthday, we're looking for 1,000 new members to help fund our mission and to help us prepare for what 2025 might bring.
Three years. Millions of readers. All thanks to 12,000 supporters.
It’s thanks to readers like you that we can celebrate another birthday this November. We’re looking for another 1,000 members to help fund our mission, keep our journalism accessible for all, and prepare for whatever 2025 might bring. Consider gifting a membership today or help us spread the word.
Help us get 1,000 new members!
Become a member Gift membership
visa masterCard americanExpress

News Feed

4:03 PM

Musk mocks Zelensky for comments about Ukraine's independence.

The billionaire reposted a modified excerpt from Zelensky's interview with the Suspilne broadcaster shared on X by the @visegrad24 account, which read: "The U.S. cannot force us to 'sit and listen' at the negotiating table. We are an independent country."
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.