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‘It was hell’: Lengthy traces of Ukrainian refugees at Poland border | Russia-Ukraine disaster Information

Medyka, Ukraine-Poland border – Heat rays of the morning solar take away the final indicators of frost from the automobiles parked in limitless traces alongside the street.

Medyka – the primary border crossing between Poland and Ukraine – is slowly waking up, and so are dozens of women and men who spent the night time in parking heaps, ready for his or her family members to reach.

For the reason that starting of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, greater than 115,000 refugees have crossed into Poland, the Polish Ministry of Inside Affairs stated on Saturday. Anybody from Ukraine is allowed entry, even those that don’t maintain legitimate passports, Polish officers stated.

The United Nations Refugee Company says greater than 120,000 Ukrainian refugees have left the nation since Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday.

For some refugees, it takes greater than 24 hours to cross the border between Ukraine and Poland [Agnieszka Pikulicka-Wilczewska/Al Jazeera]

However for many Ukrainian refugees, it took days to escape the war.

Helena, 49, from Drohobych in western Ukraine, is sipping tea and consuming a sandwich she acquired from volunteers. She has household in Poznan, Poland, and he or she is aware of the arduous journey will quickly be over.

But it surely took her 24 hours to cross the border and arrive to security. “It was hell,” she informed Al Jazeera earlier than she burst into tears.

For Denis, a 30-year-old from Chernivtsi, Ukraine, who works at development websites in Poland, it was a tough night time as properly. He arrived at Medyka on Thursday to fulfill his spouse and kids coming from Ukraine. However after an entire night time of ready, they have been nowhere in sight.

“They’ve been on the border for over 24 hours. Originally, they needed to cross on foot nevertheless it was onerous, so that they discovered a bus. No less than it’s not as chilly as exterior,” he stated.

“However for the previous 5 hours or so, they don’t seem to be letting anybody by. It’s unclear why.”

Whereas Denis’s spouse and kids are on their strategy to reunite with him, his mom determined to cross again into Ukraine. She didn’t wish to be away from her husband and two different sons, who may quickly obtain a name for service.

“My father fought in Afghanistan and he is aware of what a struggle is like,” Denis stated.

“He was able to sacrifice his life for the Soviet Union. Now he is able to sacrifice his life for Ukraine towards the brand new Russian energy,” he stated.

“It’s a paradox. However everybody can see what the Russians are doing. They took Crimea, Donbas, now they need Kharkiv.”

Instead of fleeing war, hundreds of Ukrainians return homeAs a substitute of fleeing struggle, lots of of Ukrainians return dwelling [Agnieszka Pikulicka-Wilczewska/Al Jazeera]

Denis informed Al Jazeera he may be a part of the battle too, however first needs to verify his spouse and kids are protected. In per week or two, he stated, if the enemy is nearer to his hometown of Chernivtsi, he should take up arms.

“If they arrive nearer to our houses, we should return and battle. For thus a few years, we’ve got labored to construct the nation that even when a few of us depart, others should keep. If everybody leaves, who will defend us?” Denis requested.

For the primary half of the day on Friday, extra folks crossed into Ukraine than have been seen leaving the border – a puzzling paradox in a time of mass exodus.

Ukrainian refugees additionally complained about ready hours to obtain the Polish stamp, lack of meals out there within the passage between Ukraine and Poland, and extreme chilly within the area.

Amid the border chaos, volunteers handed out water, heat garments and blankets to the conscripts crossing into Ukraine to affix the battle.

The gear will enable girls and kids – stranded between Poland and Ukraine and nonetheless ready for an opportunity to get to security – to outlive one other freezing day.

Polish and Ukrainian volunteersPolish and Ukrainian volunteers work day and night time in any respect border crossings to offer water, sizzling drinks and meals to refugees arriving from Ukraine [Agnieszka Pikulicka-Wilczewska/Al Jazeera]

Yelena, a 43-year-old refugee herself, is among the volunteers handing out the objects.

She arrived in Poland nearly a 12 months in the past from Belarus. When she discovered that Russia had launched a full-scale invasion towards Ukraine, she didn’t wish to keep idle.

“I needed to affix the struggle. The Polish border guard let me by, however the Ukrainians didn’t. why? As a result of I’ve a Belarusian passport,” Yelena informed Al Jazeera.

“All sort of assist is required there: somebody has to cook dinner, somebody has to care for the wounded. I even tried to cross a second time, however to no avail.”

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Yelena stated she then destroyed her Belarusian passport in protest towards the struggle and joined the Ukrainian and Polish volunteers on the border.

“I really feel ashamed for Belarus. Ukraine has to win this struggle,” she stated. “Slava Ukraini [Glory to Ukraine].”

She then handed a blanket and a number of other bottles of water to a younger man coming into the border crossing in direction of Ukraine.

Olga is ready in the identical queue. She stands out from the remainder of the group; her lengthy, modern coat with quirky patterns and impeccable hair attracts consideration.

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Olga and her boyfriend Sergey have been ready for a flight again to Ukraine at an airport in Vilnius, Lithuania, once they heard concerning the struggle unfolding of their homeland.

“We went to Lithuania for a weekend and we obtained caught in there. Our flight dwelling was cancelled. For the primary few hours, we couldn’t perceive what was happening, we couldn’t imagine it,” the 33-year-old everlasting make-up artist informed Al Jazeera.

She now hopes that after again in Ukraine, she is going to have the ability to volunteer in a hospital as a nurse. She stated she needs to make herself helpful.

Her boyfriend Sergey is 38, which suggests he’s within the conscription age. He works as a sound director and has by no means held a gun.

But when his abilities are usually not sufficient to help the wrestle, he can be taught new ones, he says with an air of confidence. “No matter it takes to assist the nation.”

It took the couple two days to get from Vilnius to the border. All buses on the route have been cancelled, and there have been no trains both. In the long run, “Lithuanian brothers” drove them straight to Medyka.

Whereas Sergey is afraid of struggle, he says it by no means crossed his thoughts to remain elsewhere in Europe.

“There may be one Ukraine and we are able to’t lose it. It’s our homeland and it’ll by no means be Russia.”

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