On the first day of the Russian military operation in Ukraine, Ukrainians in the east of the country fled en masse from the fighting and shelling in an attempt to seek refuge in other cities or other states. According to a tally by the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Moscow’s offensive displaced some 100,000 people inside Ukraine on Thursday, February 24, and a few thousand civilians fled to neighboring countries, mainly Ukraine. Moldova and Romania.
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Thus, from the first bombardments, lines of cars formed on the main road which connects the east and the west of Ukraine. They finally constituted a monster traffic jam over tens of kilometers, in a setting of steppes and plateaus. “I woke up at 5 a.m. because there were bombs”says Catherine, an English teacher. She left her city of Kharkiv, in the east of the country, before the first light of day. “I packed my bags in about thirty minutes and we left town.” His city of Kharkiv was emptied of a large part of its inhabitants, terrified by the powerful explosions.
Among these displaced people, there is also Ahmed. “I come from Aleppo”says this Syrian who fled his country, with fire and blood, in 2012. “We experienced war, the great war. That’s why we came to Ukraine.” This 35-year-old man is forced into a new exodus. “It’s war again and we have to flee once again to find a safe place.” He plans to go to Poland.
“I lived here for ten years. That’s why I’m sad. I had my job, my life. It was my story.”
Ahmed, a 35-year-old Syrian who lived in Ukraineat franceinfo
The queue of Ukrainians leaving their homes and their region, on the road from Donbass to Dniepro, is impressive. It is notably due to the unpreparedness of these inhabitants. Indeed, four or five days ago, no one in Ukraine – whether in Kiev, Kharkiv or even in the Donbass – could conceive that there would be a war. This country was at peace: we went to the cinema and we went out. All of a sudden, there was this announcement and the Ukrainians saw their country being bombed. These people barely had one or two small suitcases, a cap, a jacket and left.
Another reason to explain this massive and rapid flight of civilians: the rapid advance of the Russians. Just look at a map of Ukraine: there are pockets that are starting to be taken over by the Russians. For example, four hours from Dniepro, the Russian flag has already been raised in a small town in the Kherson region.
On the road between Dniepro and Kiev, cars are idling. In places, Ukrainian military checkpoints are installed. They are increasingly equipped, some even preparing reinforced concrete barricades with construction machinery. There is an atmosphere of armed vigil, with a real risk for fleeing civilians. Indeed, they take the same routes as the Ukrainian military convoys heading towards Kiev. They could therefore be the target of new Russian strikes at any time to destabilize the organization of the defense of the Ukrainian capital.
If this departure is a real heartbreak for these displaced people, who would never have imagined having to flee their city under the bombs, it is however not surprising for Vitali. “Unfortunately, my friend and I were prepared for this”says this engineer who knows Russia and the methods of its President Vladimir Putin well. “For the past two weeks, we have read horrible things on Russian social media. These are calls for murder. Who is Putin? He is a killer and an aggressor.”
If the exodus is important, some inhabitants are also completely flabbergasted. “There is no other word to describe the situation”, explains this man, completely haggard and lost. He stays in his town and sees dozens of cars passing. “They have been leaving non-stop since 7 a.m.”he says, smoking his cigarette. “People were woken up because their houses were shaking. All of eastern Ukraine is leaving and these people don’t even know where they are going.” It evokes “the fear” which seizes him at the idea of a further advance of the Russians. “Who is not afraid of this total invasion?”
This fear is confirmed by recent information, in particular the ongoing fighting Friday in Kiev and the advance of Russian troops in other cities. To welcome refugees, Europe is getting ready. Neighboring countries, such as Poland or Romania, have already set up reception centres. This war could displace nearly five million Ukrainians.