On the 24th of February, 2022 there was a drastic change of normalcy. Of course, it started as a regular day. At 5 am, I was taking my time to study, before deciding to take a quick bathroom break. It was normal, until there was a deafening, extremely loud noise. Surely, the first thought that would come into the mind of any person in Ukraine at that time, would be that the Russians have finally invaded the country. The news of Russia threatening to attack was well known to everybody, but that moment was still shocking because nobody in that situation would have seen it coming. The predictions were that the issues between both countries would be settled amicably. It didn't work out that well.
From the very moment I heard the sound of the explosion, I knew that the Russians were In. The date still remains imprinted in my head, vivid and clear. Even though it was just 5 am when it happened, the streets had already become packed. Everybody began to run helter-skelter, in panic. Getting to places was a challenge because the roads were congested with traffic jams. The people just wanted to leave the country.
Meanwhile, the frequency of the bombs began to increase. The explosion became more frequent. Although, it was within hours of intervals. I had to go grocery shopping, preparing for what is to come. I wasn't so lucky because other people had already gone emergency shopping, but I was able to get some essentials regardless.
Upon getting home, we had to protect ourselves and remain underground, in a bomb shelter . It was a safer option, but a less convenient one. We still had to come up when some things had to be done, because there wasn't any comfortabilty when you're under the ground. The routine continued, and so did the bombs. At first, there was a reasonable pause, between the bomb explosions. But the pace increased quickly. It moved from hours to minutes almost rapidly. There was at least, one explosion within every two minutes.
On one of those days, I was having a bathe, unbothered by the sounds of the bombs because it sounded far away. Soon, it got closer by the second, making me hurry up to get dressed. Until it seemed as though there was an explosion right above my head. It was a mortifying incident, and a scary one too. I had to run from the fourth floor, to a safer spot underground.
I was living in Kyiv, and it was becoming more terrible as time went by. I knew I had to leave because it was becoming threatening. There were other people, living together, Ukrainians and some few Africans. We the Africans were planning to find a way out. There were no taxis, buses, or anything to aid our plans. Everything appeared to have collapsed. Adding insult to the injury, the roads we were to go through were destroyed. It was destroyed to stop the Russians from invading the city but it turned out to be futile after all. The Russians still invaded, and it simply made things worse for us who lived in the city, leaving us locked indoors. I was constantly thinking about how to leave, giving the situation at hand. We prayed, trusting God for something to happen.
During one of those days, we decided to leave the house. Coincidentally, it was also the day there was to be a peace talk between Russia and Ukraine. I heard some talks about there been a possibility of things getting worse. Russia did not care about was what to happen to the residents of Ukraine at that time. They wanted to bring the country down, and were going to do that at all cost. I saw that day as my only opportunity to leave.
Along with my fellow Africans, we took our things and left. From the building where we stayed, we traveled on foot for 3 whole hours. Eventually, we had to cross the destroyed bridge. There was a river, and we took a very risky move to go through. We had no other choice but to continue the journey by walking, as there were no vehicles to help us out. And even as we journeyed, we could still hear the sound of more explosions.
After hours of walking, we were able to get someone to take us to the train station. You need to get to the train station before you could go to another city. So, that's where we needed to be. Upon getting to the train station, there were tons of people there. All wanting to leave. Of course, at there point more priority will be placed on the citizens of the country. Especially mothers, and those with infants and new borns. We lucked out, and were not able to get on that particular train, having to wait for the next one. After buying tickets, the next train took off with us safely inside.
The train ride took about 16 hours. It was a very serious situation as we traveled to the Western part of Ukraine. From there, to a different city, which led us to the country's border.
On the other side of the border, we were welcomed by the Hungarian government. After checking our documents, we were received and transported to the nearest city. It was a journey from there to the capital city. Currently, I stay in the capital city.
All along, God has been helping us. Myself and the entire team. It involved a lot of expenses, especially on transportation and tickets. But, we arrived safely in one piece, and without injuries. I'm really thankful for the Hungarians who were very welcoming and made the entire situation less of a problem.
I believe firmly that Ukraine will rise again, and gain its freedom back from the captivity of Russia and the Russian government.
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