The humanitarian crisis in Ukraine worsens with Russia intensifying its attacks across the war-torn country. With the Russian onslaught showing no signs of stopping, Ukrainian families have decided to flee their home nation and resume their lives in neighboring countries.
According to the United Nations (UN), more than 1.7 million people have already left Ukraine because of the ongoing conflict. The UN high commissioner for refugees did not mince any words about the mass exodus, calling it the fastest-growing refugee crisis in the European continent since World War Two.
Refugees displaced by the war are crossing to countries to the west, such as Poland, Moldova, Romania, Hungary, and Slovakia. As of March 7, UN figures show Poland taking in 1,027,603 refugees, making it the most popular destination for Ukrainians fleeing the war.
Refugees flock to Hungary and Moldova
Hungary has taken in 180,163 refugees from Ukraine, while 128,169 refugees crossed over to Slovakia. Moldova and Romania also took in a fair share of refugees from Ukraine. At least 82,762 refugees went to Moldova, while 78,977 displaced people from Ukraine crossed the Romanian border.
Interestingly, some refugees fled to Russia and Belarus, which are currently waging war against Ukraine. Some 53,300 people crossed the Russian border, while 546 refugees made the trek to Belarus. Other countries in Europe have also taken in Ukrainian refugees, with 183,688 people moving to their territories.
Heartbreaking scenes were witnessed on Ukraine's border with Moldova as families crossed over to the second poorest country in Europe. While some vehicles carrying refugees drove straight through to Moldova to escape the fighting in Ukraine's cities, other cars crawled towards the border as families were made to say painful goodbyes.
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Ukrainian men of fighting age make painful goodbyes to families
Men aged 18 to 60 must stay behind to defend Ukraine against Russia, forcing fathers and husbands to separate with their wives and children on the border. They just drop off their loved ones, say a few words and give a final kiss before embarking on another perilous trip back home to face the Russian army.
That was the case for Dimtry, who was interviewed at the border by The National. He made the trip to Moldova with his wife and three-month-old son Alexei. According to Dimtry, they drove from Kyiv, and it took them nearly two days to get through all the checkpoints and accidents on the roads, which he said are wrecked now because of the bombing.
He looked numb when asked by the reporter about what he would do when the border guards turned him away from entering Moldova, saying he had not thought that far. That story sadly applies to more Ukrainians, who are trying to escape the brutality of the Russians.
According to the European Union, the number of refugees could climb to seven million because of this conflict, and around 18 million Ukrainians will be affected by the Russian invasion.
