The war in Ukraine — which Meduza will continue to call a war, despite demands from Russia’s state censor that we do otherwise — has already seen no fewer than 150,000 civilians forced to leave their homes. Poland, Moldova, and Hungary are all accepting Ukrainian refugees. Slovakia has declared a state of emergency due to the large wave of new arrivals. In addition, the United States has declared its readiness to help refugees, and Ireland has cancelled its visa requirements for Ukrainian arrivals. Here, Meduza rounds up photographs capturing the scale of the displacement crisis already in progress.
Long lines of cars attempt to leave Kyiv. February 24, 2022.
Emilio Morenatti / AP / Scanpix / LETA
People wait to board trains leaving Kyiv. Eyewitnesses told Meduza that it is now very difficult to leave the Ukrainian capital. Passengers are able to board trains free of charge, but the number of seats is limited, and the situation on the city’s streets means that reaching the station is difficult. February 25, 2022.
Umit Bektas / Reuters / Scanpix / LETA
Women and children cross the Ukrainian-Polish border on foot at the Korczowa – Krakovets checkpoint. February 26, 2022.
Janek Skarzynski / AFP / Scanpix / LETA
A Ukrainian refugee crosses the border with Romania at the Solotvyno-Sighetul Marmației checkpoint. As with Poland, Moldova, Hungary and Slovakia, Romania has opened its borders to Ukrainian refugees, and is providing housing, food, and legal assistance. February 25, 2022.
Paul Ursachi / AP / Scanpix / LETA
A woman with a young child in the Romanian town of Siret, not far from the Ukrainian border. February 25, 2022.
Alexandru Dobre / AP / Scanpix / LETA
A woman waits in the Hungarian town of Barabás to meet her relatives after they cross the Hungarian-Ukrainian border. February 25, 2022.
Anna Szilagyi / AP / Scanpix / LETA
Passengers on the train from Kyiv to Warsaw. February 25, 2022.
Wojtek Jargilo / EPA / Scanpix / LETA
A line of cars waits at the Korczowa – Krakovets crossing on the Polish-Ukrainian border. February 26, 2022.
Dimitar Dilkoff / AFP / Scanpix / LETA
Refugees have their documents checked at the Ukrainian-Slovakian border, not far from the village of Vyšné Nemecké. February 25, 2022.
Zuzana Gogova / Getty Images
People cross the Polish-Ukrainian border on foot at the Medyka-Szeginie checkpoint. February 25, 2022.
Wojtek Radwanski / AFP / Scanpix / LETA
Refugees in the Romanian village of Siret. February 25, 2022.
Andreea Alexandru / AP / Scanpix / LETA
A Ukrainian refugee with her young daughter in the village of Siret, on the border between Ukraine and Romania. February 25, 2022.
Andreea Alexandru / AP / Scanpix / LETA
Night on the border between Poland and Ukraine. This photograph was taken in Przemyśl, the second largest city in southern Poland after Kraków. February 25, 2022.
Omar Marques / Getty Images
In the village of Vyšné Nemecké on the Ukrainian-Slovakian border, volunteers and priests from Slovakia’s Greek Orthodox Church set up a collection point for items to help refugees. February 25, 2022.
Zuzana Gogova / Getty Images
Altruistic Slovaks meet Ukrainian refugees in Vyšné Nemecké, and drive them free of charge to other cities and villages in Slovakia. February 25, 2022.
Zuzana Gogova/Getty Images
A help point for refugees in a supermarket parking lot in the Polish city of Przemyśl. From here, people can take free transport to other towns and cities in Poland. February 26, 2022.
Darek Delmanowicz / EPA/ Scanpix / LETA
A Ukrainian living in Poland waits to meet fellow countrymen in the town of Medyka, with an offer to transport them to Kraków free of charge. February 25 2022.
Kacper Pempel / Reuters / Scanpix / LETA
Volunteers in Siret feed people crossing the Romanian-Ukrainian border. February 25, 2022.
Andreea Alexandru / AP / Scanpix / LETA
Polish soldiers carry boxes of food for refugees at a train station in Przemyśl in southern Poland. February 25, 2022.
Darek Delmanowicz / EPA / Scanpix / LETA
This Przemyśl train station has been transformed into a rest point for Ukrainian refugees on the road. February 24, 2022.
Petr David Josek / AP / Scanpix / LETA
read more Meduza coverage of the war
- Moscow on the warpath Updates on major developments in Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine
- Unreliable at best What we know about Ukrainian and Russian casualties on day three of the invasion
- Putin vs. Ukrainian history
- ‘I’m panicking — where is my child?’ Conscript soldiers are being sent to fight against Ukraine, their relatives say. Here’s what their families told Meduza.
Translation by Katie Marie Davies