These Photos Show What It's Like For 500,000 Ukrainians Fleeing Russia's Invasion
Ukrainians are fleeing the Russian invasion by foot, train, and car to reach neighboring countries, often enduring a challenging journey at train stations and borders.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is only four days old, but already 500,000 Ukrainians have become refugees, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency. Ukrainians are fleeing by foot, train, and car to reach neighboring countries. Many are enduring lengthy journeys, crowding, and lines at train stations and borders, with limited access to food and shelter. With European countries welcoming many of the refugees, people were quick to call out the stark differences in the treatment of Ukrainian refugees to that of Afghan and Syrian refugees, who have frequently experienced racism.

Ukrainians wait at the Slovak–Ukrainian border crossing in Velke Slemence, Slovakia, on February 25, 2022.

People leave Kyiv after Russia's massive military operation against Ukraine on February 25, 2022.

People wait to board an evacuation train from Kyiv to Lviv at Kyiv central train station, Ukraine, February 25, 2022.

People wait to board an evacuation train from Kyiv to Lviv at Kyiv central train station, Ukraine, February 25, 2022.

People wait to board an evacuation train from Kyiv to Lviv at Kyiv central train station, Ukraine, February 25, 2022.

Ukrainian citizens arrive in Romania by crossing the Siret border on February 25, 2022.

Ukrainians flock to the train station to leave the capital of Kyiv on February 25, 2022.

People walk with their belongings at the Astely–Beregsurany border crossing as they flee Ukraine on February 25, 2022, in Beregsurany, Hungary.

Ukrainian families fleeing the conflict are seen walking with their belongings after crossing the Hungarian-Ukrainian border near Beregsurany, Hungary, some 300 kilometers from the Hungarian capital on February 25, 2022, one day after Russia launched a military attack on neighboring Ukraine.

People wait to board an evacuation train from Kyiv to Lviv at Kyiv central train station, Ukraine, February 25, 2022.

A woman and a child walk at a border crossing in Beregsurany, Hungary, as they flee from Ukraine to Hungary on February 25, 2022.

People walk at a border crossing in Beregsurany, Hungary, as they flee from Ukraine to Hungary on February 25, 2022.

A woman weeps in her car after crossing the border from Ukraine at the Romanian–Ukrainian border, in Sighetu Marmatiei, Romania, on February 25, 2022.

A child from Ukraine sleeps in a tent that is part of a humanitarian center for refugees at the Moldovan–Ukrainian border, in Palalanca, Moldova, on February 25, 2022.

Nigerian citizens Victoria and her daughter, Elvira, arrive by bus to a supermarket parking lot from the Polish–Ukrainian border crossing on February 26, 2022, in Przemysl, Poland.

Ukrainian civilians who came to Poland following Russia's military intervention in Ukraine are seen at the train station in the city of Przemysl, Poland, on February 25, 2022.

Sixteen-year-old Leo and his dog sleep for a second day in an underground station, along with his mother and his brothers on February 25, 2022, in Kyiv, Ukraine.

People fleeing the conflict from neighboring Ukraine meet with members of their family at the border crossing in Medyka, southeastern Poland, on February 25, 2022.

People crowd the Kyiv train station to take trains to Poland or to places in the western parts of Ukraine on February 28, 2022, in Kyiv, Ukraine.

A woman carries her child as she arrives at the Medyka border crossing after fleeing from Ukraine, in Poland, on February 28, 2022.