- As evidence of Russian atrocities in Bucha and other areas in the outskirts of Kiev mounts after the pullout of occupying troops, refugees from Ukraine continue to cross the border into Poland and other neighbouring countries. They leave behind families and loved ones, some of them fighting on the frontline, amid uncertainty and communication blackouts.
“Today is my youngest daughter’s birthday, and I want to make this day a day to celebrate. We will leave our luggage in a hotel and go out. In the building where I live, we were peaceful people. Our hospital was destroyed, our school was destroyed. For days, I waited, I stayed at home, but I realised it had become too dangerous. There was shooting every day. We spent every night at our neighbours’ because I was alone with the girls in the house. My husband is fighting with the Ukrainian army. He’s a businessman, but he can’t stay on the sidelines.
We stayed in the queue for foreigners. There were two queues, one queue on the left side for Ukrainians, [where] there were old people, women and children, and the right side was for foreigners. I cannot stay with the Ukrainians, so [my wife Iryna] stayed with me. We went to Berlin, [but we decided not to stay there]. It would be very difficult to continue my studies there because of [the rules that apply to refugees seeking] international protection.