Thread by @dabeard

“We don’t need much,” said one of the million-plus Ukrainians fleeing their homeland. “A warm corner is enough.”

A WARM CORNER IS ENOUGH!

nationalgeographic.com/culture/articl… @NatGeo @anastasiatl @davidemonteleo @EveConant #Ukraine

This is Lidiya Ivanenko, the Ukrainian refugee who said she just wanted a warm corner. She's holding her son, Myron, after they crossed in Poland. Russian invaders in 2014 forced her to flee to Kyiv. "I did not think this war would catch up with me.”

One of thousands of African students in the country, Blessing Oyeleke, a 25-year-old med student from Nigeria, fled the city of Ternpil. She experienced chaos and racism in the crush to escape, but called her five years in Ukraine "like a dream for me.” Via @anastasiatl

Iryna Novikova, 42, left Kyiv with her daughter on a moment’s notice—without changing clothes, brushing her teeth, or showering. “In such a moment you need none of that. I don’t know how I ran; my legs just carried me."

Gunshots sounded behind Iryna Butenko, 33, and daughter
Kateryna Falchenko, 8, when they ran for a train to leave Kharkiv. Iryna, in Poland now, never wants to go back. Katya, too, feels safe. "No one is shooting or threatening us. My mom is always near me." Via @anastasiatl

Amoakohene Ababio Williams, 26, originally from Ghana, was separated from his Ukrainian wife, Sattennik Airapetryan, 27, and their 1-year-old son, Kyle Richard, just before reaching the border. “I was thinking, that’s all. Maybe I will not see her again.” He made it.

With adult Ukrainians forced to stay behind to fight, Anna Bianova, 34, fled with two 11 year olds—her son, Maksym (in a blue hat) and nephew Myhaylo Bianov. Oh, but they have their dog, Archie.

Here's the full @NatGeo story on the Ukrainian exodus, by Ukranians in their own words. nationalgeographic.com/culture/articl…?