Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: South Africans urged to flee to borders

While the war in Ukraine continues to escalate, the 200 South Africans stuck in the country were advised to flee to neighbouring countries. Ukrainians, however, are hiding and anxiously waiting for the next attack.

Ukrainian tour guide Oleksandra Fedorenko is currently hiding in her apartment in the centre of Chernihiv, in northern Ukraine.

Fedorenko said Chernihiv is an ancient city with unique architecture that up to 1,000 years old. That is now at risk with the city becoming a battlefield.

“At the first sound of the air raid siren, I’ll run to the shelter,” she said.

On Tuesday afternoon, Fedorenko said the city was relatively quiet.

Two hours later Fedorenko was hiding in the bomb shelter underneath her apartment building.

“My house is a multi-apartment, four-storey building, which was built in the 50s and was built to very strict standards and has a bomb shelter,” she said.

Fedorenko said they never thought that it would be useful to them.

“This is a basement, but it is well fortified, with an armoured door,” she said.

“There are about 30 people hiding in our bomb shelter. These are our housemates and people from neighbouring houses,” she said.

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Fedorenko said they knew there might be hard times ahead and had stocked up on food. 

“Now everything is facilitated by the fact that in our houses, not damaged by explosions, there is electricity, internet, water, gas. We cook food and nearby there is a grocery store,” she said.

“The distant cannonades of explosions can be heard,” she added.

She said during the first five days of the war, they experienced about 10 to 15 attacks by cruise missiles.

“There are currently checkpoints on key streets and Ukrainian soldiers are preparing to defend Chernihiv,” she said.

Fedorenko said they were grateful for the Ukrainian armed forces who had Chernihiv under control.

She is, however, worried about her mother who lives in another part of the city.

“I don’t have the opportunity to visit her. I am very worried, but we are in touch,” she said.

Fedorenko said the support from the international community is inspiring.

“My clients, tourists, my friends from different cities and countries who call and write to me. Only the Belarusians and Russians are silent now. I hope they feel ashamed,” she said.

She said the areas that have suffered air attacks looked terrible.

“Burnt houses, destroyed floors, and fires, but we hold on, we believe in our soldiers, we believe in our fight, we believe in Ukraine,” she said.

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) spokesperson, Clayson Monyela, said they are providing support to South Africans affected by the conflict through the Embassy of Ukraine.

“Ambassador Andre Groenewald has a database of 200 South African nationals, including students. He has a WhatsApp group to provide info and update how South Africans can move towards places of safety,” he said.

Monyela said they have advised South Africans to move towards countries that are taking in refugees, such as Poland, Romania and Hungary.

“We have ambassadors on the borders to receive them. Earlier, I spoke to a group of students who made it safely to the border of Poland,” he said.

Monyela said Dirco welcomed talks between Ukraine and Russia and encouraged everyone to approach the dialogue with a spirit of compromise.

Meanwhile, the pavement in front of the Embassy of Ukraine in Pretoria was decorated with blue and yellow flowers and messages of support on the lawn, while police, private security and Ukrainian soldiers guard the property. 

At the gate the Ukrainian diplomat Oksana Rozumna struggled to hold back tears when asked how she felt about the war in her country and if she had family in Ukraine.

As a diplomat Rozumna is not allowed to share her emotions, so she quickly wiped her tears and added her family members are okay.

Ukraine’s ambassador to South Africa, Liubov Abravitova, said during an update of the situation in Ukraine that both sides had suffered losses.

“The humanitarian situation is in danger and faced with military fleets on the ground. As of Monday, 352 people including 16 children were killed. A total of 1,684 people including 116 children were wounded,” she said.

Abravitova said the number of injured civilians keeps rising.

“Many people have lost their homes,” she said.

Abravitova said the situation on the borders of Ukraine to Poland, Hungary, and Romania was terrifying.

“Long queues consisting both of cars and pedestrians were more than 40 kilometres long,” she said.

The ambassador said according to United Nations data more than 160,000 people were displaced and half a million Ukrainian residents have left Ukraine since the start of the war.

“We urge the international community to show solidarity with Ukraine. The fights and strikes around Kiev are becoming stronger and we expect the coming hours to be even more terrifying,” she said.

Abravitova asked the South African government and neighbouring countries to support Ukrainian refugees.

“Save their lives, because every life matters,” she said.

marizkac@citizen.co.za

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