The sounds of the bombs woke up the inhabitants of Kiev (Ukraine) on Thursday morning. The fear of a war, which for the last few weeks had kept the Ukrainians in uncertainty, began to materialize in the last few hours after the Russian attacks and invasions of their territory.
Almost immediately, thousands of people, who already had their bags packed, decided to leave their homes and flee the war that, according to the latest reports, leaves 57 Ukrainians dead and 169 wounded. Kiev highways collapsed, as there is fear of a bombing in the country’s capital.
(Also: Russia – Ukraine: Officials estimate that Kiev will fall in a matter of hours)
But not everyone has been able to get out. They have no way to do it and they are also afraid to do it. “Everything is dangerous,” says Olia Kovtun, a Ukrainian citizen who is trapped with her Colombian daughter, a three-year-old girl.
(Due to the public interest that the events between Russia and Ukraine arouse, all our coverage of that invasion and related actions will have free access for all readers of EL TIEMPO)
Although the Colombian government has said that it will evacuate the 68 nationals who are in the territory at war, as well as the 28 foreigners who are part of their family nucleus, it has also said that this must be done by traveling to Poland, or other countries. , but for those who are in the crossfire, this is not easy.
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I need to go with my daughter who is 3 years old. So that worries me, although I found some cars, it is dangerous
“It’s not easy to go. There are no cars, no buses, no trains, everything is busy,” says the woman, who adds that this is compounded by the difficulty and dangers involved in traveling with her baby, whose father is Colombian and currently It is in our country.
Among the communications he had with the Colombian authorities for his evacuation, they assured him that it was necessary to go to Poland because it was not yet known whether it was possible to organize transportation from the Ukrainian capital.
“But it is difficult to go from here to Lviv – a city 70 kilometers from the border with Poland – because I need to go with my daughter who is 3 years old. So that worries me, although I found some cars, it is dangerous.”
(Also read: Russian-Ukrainian war live: at least 57 Ukrainians killed and 169 wounded)
So for now, he will follow other recommendations, such as staying home while he finds a way to travel, despite the dangers that this also means.
Kovtun says that this Thursday there was a small food shortage and, in addition, the prices of what was left rose. “I think it was because everyone wanted to buy, just in case,” he says.
Rows in supermarkets and pharmacies in Kiev this Thursday.
Regarding what is happening in the city, the woman narrates that there are people who still do not believe what is happening, despite the bombings and the news, which show that there are other regions where this war is already being experienced with greater intensity.
“People are in shock. Older people don’t want to believe that something bad is going to happen. They all want to leave, some go to other towns, others to a different country. But there are also men who want to fight for their land, of these there are many young people. Some of my friends and their families received a call to go to the military isolation office”.
(In other news: Russia’s attack on Ukraine: traffic jams and panic on the outskirts of Kiev)
For now, Kovtun hopes to get some sleep at night and early morning so that he can leave his house on Friday and try to find a safe means of transportation. However, she calls on the Colombian authorities to help her, her daughter and the other Colombians who cannot travel to Poland.
