War in Ukraine: the anguish of the inhabitants of Kiev, refugees several tens of meters underground

Their refuge is an underground car park in a hotel in Kiev (Ukraine). They are about twenty Ukrainians installed on mattresses, or on the ground, to shelter from Russian strikes. This is what hundreds of civilians are looking for, descending several tens of meters underground. Metro stations are transformed into improvised camps. On the laptops, we look at the latest information, the fatigue can be read on the faces.

“At least there are people there, from life it almost seems like everything is fine“, says a woman, taking refuge in a station. For a few minutes, some return to the surface and rush to the shops to stock up. The city center is deserted, while at the gates of the capital, the exodus continues. These are uninterrupted lines of vehicles. On the roadside, residents, arms outstretched, try to convince motorists to take them with them. 48 hours after the start of the Russian offensive, at least 100,000 people have left their home.