‘I don’t want to die’: Ukrainians flee Russian invasion

Yurii Zhyhanov was woken up by his mother’s screams and found covered in dust. On the second day of the Russian invasion, the shelling on the outskirts of the capital ukrainianKiev, targeted his building.

Many civilians, horrified to see their lives in danger, began to flee in the first hours of the attack. Amid smoke and blaring car alarms on Friday, Zhyhanov and his family packed their bags and joined them.

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“What are you doing? What’s this?”, he said, speaking to Russia and pointing at the building behind him. “If you want to attack military personnel, attack military personnel. That’s all I say.”

Ukrainians crowd a checkpoint to cross the border between Slovakia and Ukraine, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (PETER LAZAR / AFP) (PETER LAZAR /)

His fatigue and stupor mirrored those of his country as people emerged from bomb shelters, basements and subway tunnels to face another day of upheaval.

Some were woken up by explosions, others by alarm sirens. Then news came that Russian troops had reached the outskirts of the capital.

A woman sits with her daughter after crossing the border to flee violence in Ukraine, at the Medyka border crossing, Poland. (REUTERS/Bryan Woolston). (BRYAN WOOLSTON/)

Russia says it is not attacking cities, but the fighting felt too close.

The body of a dead soldier lay near an overpass in Kiev. Elsewhere, fragments of a downed plane smoked in a residential area. Black plastic covered human remains in the middle of the brick houses.

Armored transports of soldiers passed through the streets of the city. Soldiers took up positions on empty trains. Meanwhile, neighbors watched uneasily from the doors of their buildings.

Ukrainians crowd a checkpoint to cross the border between Slovakia and Ukraine, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (PETER LAZAR / AFP) (PETER LAZAR /)

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Outside a monastery, a woman raised her hands to a mural of saints and appeared to be praying. In the port city of Mariupol, a girl named Vlada called for an end to the attack.

“I don’t want to die”, said. “I want all this to end as soon as possible.”

People walk as they flee from Ukraine to Hungary, after Russia launched a massive military operation against Ukraine, at a border crossing in Beregsurany, Hungary. (REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo). (BERNADETT SZABO/)

The uncertainty increased the fear. On a street in the Obolon district, Associated Press journalists saw a disabled military truck with flat tires. The truck had no visible badge and it was unclear if it was a vehicle that the Ukrainian military’s top brass says was stolen by Russian troops seeking to pose as locals.

Ukrainians collected belongings among the damage left by the shelling. And some were hurt.

A family leaves the border after crossing to flee violence in Ukraine, in Medyka, Poland. (REUTERS/Bryan Woolston). (BRYAN WOOLSTON/)

People walk as they flee from Ukraine to Hungary, after Russia launched a massive military operation against Ukraine, at a border crossing in Beregsurany, Hungary. (REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo). (BERNADETT SZABO/)

In the city of Horlivka, in the territory controlled by pro-Russian separatists, a corpse covered in a blanket lay next to a destroyed house. A man standing nearby was talking on the phone.

“Yes, mom died”said. “Mom died.”

The UN human rights office said it was receiving reports of mounting civilian casualties, with at least 25 verified deaths, mostly from shelling and aerial bombardment. “The figures, we fear, could be much higher,” said office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani.

The need to flee grew. Some civilians approached the borders on foot, carrying luggage with them. “It is unfortunate to be at our advanced age, facing a war”, said Marika Sipos, who had left her home in Koson, with tears in her eyes.

Ukrainian citizens have begun fleeing the conflict in their country a day after Russia launched a military attack on neighboring Ukraine. (PETER LAZAR / AFP) (PETER LAZAR /)

Local residents prepare to flee the conflict in Debaltseve, eastern Ukraine.l (REUTERS/Gleb Garanich). (Gleb Garanich/)

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Source: Elcomercio