Ukraine war survivor and refugee to Poland shares the horror of the day of Russian invasion in Ukraine with Europeans24.
Family of Sofiya Lukyanchuk in the basement to escape from Russian missile attacks
The morning of February 24, 7:15, as always, the first thing a modern person does is pick up the phone to look at social networks, likes, photos, etc.
And immediately the news: "Russia invaded in Ukraine", "Kyiv is burning", God, what just happened?, immediately a call to parents...
"It's true???"
The husband was weeping and told me that rockets had fallen near us, some 100 kilometers away; he was holding our 8-month-old and 6-year-old boys. Panic and horror began to overtake him. Every 30 minutes, air raid sirens would sound, prompting us to flee to the basement, then back up to the home, and so on.
My Ukrainian home was in a hamlet in the Kovel area of Volyn Oblast, close to the Belarussian border. The stores around my house were closed, and I was out of bread. So I went to town to get basic necessities like medicine, food, diapers, candles, matches, batteries, and salt. People emptied every grocery in three hours, and I was out of bread, milk, meat, salt, and flour.
On the drive out of town, I encountered tanks, armored vehicles, troops, and physicians. There were checks for document verification at every intersection. Roadside workers dug trenches, concealed equipment in the bushes, and mined bridges. And we sat at home all the time, following the news, and when I heard that Poland was welcoming refugees from Ukraine, I gathered as many vital children's items as I could: medication, clothes, and food.
I located a known driver who would take me to the border and decided to travel in order to save the lives of my children. I had a temperature of 39.5 while sitting in a chilly basement while my children were sick. We encountered large queues of people crossing the border, which continued all night. I was in tears when I crossed the border since my parents were still in Ukraine.
We've already arrived in Poland around 2:30 a.m. We were welcomed with hot tea and coffee, blankets, hot meal, medicine, and free transportation. I discovered a lovely, caring family over Facebook who took us in for a bit. These folks provided me everything, including employment and peace. They have provided me with all I require in Poland. I am really thankful to my Polish neighbors for all of their help, especially for supporting me and my children during difficult times.
The war and horror still continues.... A year has passed... I'm still in Poland, cannot return to my beloved home...
The author Sofiya Lukyanchuk is a Ukraine war survivor and refugee, currently living in Poland.