Ukraine: Refugees in Poland tell their story

Video caption, Ukraine: Sisters escaping from Ukraine tell their story
  • Author, Jenny Lawrence
  • Role, 91热爆 Newsround Presenter

There has been war in Ukraine for over a week since Russia invaded the country on 24 February 2022.

Many people have had to leave their homes to escape the war and over one million have crossed the border as refugees since the start of the invasion.

More than half of those - about 548,000 - have entered Poland which shares a border with Ukraine.

Many of them arrive in Krak贸w, one of Poland's main cities. Some will stay in there, others will carry on their journey.

I've spent the last 24 hours speaking to people who have arrived and those who are welcoming them.

At Krak贸w's main station, I spoke to two Ukrainians, Anastasiia, who is 15, and her nine-year-old sister Miroslava who are travelling with their mum Oleno.

Anastasiia told me she had travelled almost three days from their home in Dnipro in eastern Ukraine without having much chance to eat and sleep properly.

"Now we are here, trying to escape from the war," she says.

Image caption, Their journey from their home in Dnipro took almost three days

Anastasiia sums up the strange situation that many young people like her and her sister suddenly find themselves in.

"Nearly one week ago everything was totally different, I went to school, I was doing my homework, I was meeting with my friends."

Leaving also meant saying goodbye to friends and family.

Image caption, Anastasiia and her nine-year-old sister Miroslava (on the right) are travelling with their mum Oleno (on the left)

Anastasiia says a close friend is moving to Moldova, a country which also borders Ukraine.

"I said goodbye to her because I don't know when I will see her again."

Anastasiia also told me that she knows that she and her sister have to stick together and look out for each other: "It's really important not to quarrel and to have this peace between us and be friendly."

The sisters are just passing through Poland and will be travelling by train to their final destination.

"We are going to escape to Germany to find peace," Anastasiia says.

The volunteers helping refugees

Image caption, At the station some people are making balloon animals for children who have arrived from Ukraine

Spending time a the station it was clear that it's a really difficult time for the Ukrainians who have had to leave their homes.

But it's not just people escaping the war in Ukraine that have gathered at the station, there are also people who want to help.

The Ukrainian people are safe in Poland and Polish people have been coming to the station to support the refugees and try and raise spirits.

Every day there have been people giving out food and entertaining the children.

Image caption, Scouts have been handing out supplies and food to people who have travelled from Ukraine

There is even a team of scouts helping out.

One scout, Wiktoria, told me why she thinks it is so important for them to support the refugees.

"I just love to see people's faces when they actually get some help from people they don't know," she said.

"We don't know them they don't know us, so it like an exchange of happiness," she told me.

While I was talking to Anastasiia and Miroslava, some people came over to give them biscuits and I really felt that they were happy to have found safety at such a difficult time.