About 10 million Ukrainians left their homes due to the war in Ukraine

According to the UN, about 10 million people have fled their homes due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. More than 3.5 million Ukrainians have gone abroad in search of a safe place for themselves and their families.

With the beginning of the war in Ukraine, forced migration of people began. People left their homes in combat zones and went en masse to western Ukraine. They migrated mainly to the Transcarpathian and Lviv regions, which at that time were considered safe areas. These western regions are bordered by many EU countries (Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania) which have offered shelter and assistance to Ukrainians since the first days of Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

They travel mainly by their own vehicles, and those who cannot afford it use Ukrzaliznytsia's emergency trains to arrive with their families in a safe zone in western Ukraine.

In large cities, such as Uzhhorod, where I live, many volunteers, businessmen, entrepreneurs and government organizations have gathered to organize centers to help IDPs. All necessary assistance was provided: hot food, water, warm clothes, housing, medical assistance and information on the possibility to go abroad for those who wish.

Emotionally difficult for me was the railway station in Uzhgorod, which received trains with people from all over Ukraine. I had personal experience of providing volunteer assistance at the Uzhhorod railway station, informing and coordinating people depending on the difficult decision they made to stay in Ukraine or go abroad.

Volunteer traffic was organized at the railway station. Volunteers are on duty at the station around the clock to be as useful as possible for the people who arrive. All necessary assistance is provided, including informational assistance, which is extremely necessary today. Volunteers are often asked "What's next, what will happen to me and my family ...", as well as many important social issues.

For those who wanted to stay in Ukraine, we coordinated with the local center for accommodation and humanitarian and information assistance in Uzhgorod. Where local volunteers will be cared for in the future.

There were also those who made a difficult decision to leave the country. Special buses were organized for them with a connection from the railway station to the border between Slovakia and Hungary. I had to visit one of these border crossings more than once and see everything for myself.

Uzhhorod is directly on the border with Slovakia, so from the first days at the customs checkpoint "Uzhhorod - Vyshne Nemetske" local volunteers, most of whom are my friends, self-organized and provide assistance to all who need it. Since the first days of the war in Ukraine, many Ukrainians crossing the border have received volunteer assistance from local volunteer centers and foreign representatives. Volunteers work around the clock in four shifts to be as helpful as possible to those who need it.

Everyone has their own needs and problems, but volunteers provide everything necessary and extremely important. Volunteers from the "Gastronomic Battalion" deliver hot food, people bring warm clothes, personal hygiene products, baby food, etc. Among the volunteers were people and students, priests, psychologists, doctors who offered their help and could not stay away. They provided psychological assistance, which was desperately needed by people leaving the country.

Believe me, it is very difficult to watch when families separate and say goodbye to each other at the border. (In martial law, conscripts aged 18-60 are restricted from traveling abroad). Women with children say goodbye to men, but in the eyes of sadness and despair, because it is unknown when they will see each other again.

The work of a volunteer is hard, but it carries a high mission and goal! With this post I would like to draw attention to one of the many problems that have arisen as a result of hostile Russian aggression against Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. I am proud to be Ukrainian, Ukraine is my home! Glory to Ukraine!

P.S. I've been taking less of the camera lately because I understand that there are more important tasks for me today. In my opinion, there will never be a winner or a loser in a war, everyone will suffer one way or another. Peace to us all, may there never be a war!

• I ask you not to comment on this post by Russians who support and justify the Russian government's aggression against Ukraine. None of you have seen with your own eyes what is happening in Ukraine, so refrain from commenting! If you still want to express your opinion, first come to Ukraine without weapons and see for yourself your judgments imposed on you by the Russian media.