We need Britain’s help, says woman sheltering in metro as ‘100,000 flee’

‘My friends and colleagues spent the night in bomb shelters,’ she said

A terrified young woman using Kyiv’s subway as a bomb shelter on Friday pleaded with Britain to send urgent help as thousands of Ukrainian refugees fled to the border away from Russian troops and tanks.

Explosions could be heard before dawn as Vladimir Putin’s forces unleashed air strikes on Ukraine’s capital city.

The streets of central Kyiv were deserted Friday morning, with adults and children crowded into metro stations and bomb shelters in scenes reminiscent of London during the Blitz.

Close to tears, the woman, Kseniia, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme how she and her boyfriend had abandoned their home, grabbing only a sleeping bag and basic travel necessities.

After her first night sheltering underground, she told Western leaders including Boris Johnson: “Sanctions are good but it’s not enough. We fight for the freedom of the world.”

Kseniia said: “It’s so not okay. To all the people in Great Britain and the world, I just want to say we are here now and we are strong. We believe in our country and our army. But whether we are strong or not, we need your support now.

“This war, it’s not about only Ukraine, our independence and safety. We are like shield for you Europe, and you need to understand it. So together, we can prevent and stop this war.”

Kseniia said she woke to explosions and gunfire on Thursday as the Russian invasion began. She added: “I feel very, very angry because it’s not a normal situation. It’s my country, my land and my city.

It is expected that Russian troops will attempt to enter Kyiv on Friday
AP

“Now all of us Ukrainians are under attack. Multiple cities are under attack.”

Another woman huddling in a subway said she left home with “just documents and some money”.

ITV News correspondent Dan Rivers tweeted a photo of Kharkiv Subway packed with families huddled together.

He commented: “Like something from the Blitz in London during WW2. Shocking. Where on earth will this all end?”

Ukrainian children were seen huddling nervously together. One little girl said: “I don’t want to die. I just want it to end.”

Charities on Friday also urged the UK to welcome thousands of refugees from Ukraine, matching the effort made after the conflict in the former Yugoslavia in the Nineties.

Save the Children and Amnesty International, among others, called for Britain to play a leading role in providing sanctuary. The US warned that five million people could be displaced by Russia’s invasion.

As the first Russian air strikes hit Ukraine, traffic on roads towards Poland and Hungary was at a standstill, with some people walking, wheeling their possession in suitcases.

Russia invades Ukraine - In pictures

Airstrikes hit Kharkiv, Ukraine
1/56

UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi estimated more than 100,000 people were thought to have fled their homes and said the consequences for their welfare could be “devastating”.

The Prime Minister said last night that the humanitarian impact of the Russian-Ukraine conflict “threatens to be enormous”.

The Home Office stated that its priority was British nationals and their families. A number of UK expats remain in Ukraine unable to leave since its airspace closed on Thursday.

British teacher Paul Hodgson, in Kyiv with his Ukrainian fiancée and her son, said: “You don’t often find yourself in a war. People are scared. Even now, I can hear thuds in the distance. I know it’s coming closer.

“One thing that surprised us is the speed this happened. It’s not the place for civilians to be. As much as I would have liked to stay here in my home, it’s just too dangerous.”

Mr Hodgson added: “The embassy have told us we need to leave. The offensive last night and this morning have got to that point where it’s time for us to go. We are going to be leaving Kyiv fairly imminently on an evacuation bus and probably head south, maybe into Slovakia.”

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in