Foreign

Ukraine vs Russia: Army threaten to shoot Africans trying to cross Poland border

Published

3 years ago

February 27, 2022

The Police and Army threatening to shoot Africans, who fled Ukraine and are trying to cross Poland’s border..

Several Africans have been stuck there under the scorching cold weather for 2 days. Several of them have returned to Lviv, Ukraine.

The Police and Army threatening to shoot Africans, who fled Ukraine and are trying to cross Poland's border.

Several Africans have been stuck there under the scorching cold weather for 2 days. Several of them have returned to Lviv, Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/NdowGAsNlD
— Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone) February 27, 2022

Since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, more than 115,000 refugees have crossed into Poland, the Polish Ministry of Internal Affairs said on Saturday. Anyone from Ukraine is allowed entry, even those who do not hold valid passports, Polish officials said.

The United Nations Refugee Agency says more than 120,000 Ukrainian refugees have left the country since Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday

But for most Ukrainian refugees, it took days to escape the war.

Helena, 49, from Drohobych in western Ukraine, is sipping tea and eating a sandwich she received from volunteers. She has family in Poznan, Poland, and she knows the arduous journey will soon be over.

But it took her 24 hours to cross the border and arrive to safety. “It was hell,” she told Al Jazeera before she burst into tears.

For Denis, a 30-year-old from Chernivtsi, Ukraine, who works at construction sites in Poland, it was a difficult night as well. He arrived at Medyka on Thursday to meet his wife and children coming from Ukraine. But after a whole night of waiting, they were nowhere in sight.

“They have been at the border for over 24 hours. At the beginning, they wanted to cross on foot but it was hard, so they found a bus. At least it’s not as cold as outside,” he said.

“But for the past five hours or so, they are not letting anyone through. It is unclear why.”