Leaving the country by air is not an option as airports and railroads have been targeted by the Russian military.  Photo: Shutterstock.

Leaving the country by air is not an option as airports and railroads have been targeted by the Russian military.  Photo: Shutterstock.

Following the military offensive launched in Ukraine on Thursday by Russian president Vladimir Putin, residents of the eastern European country have been forced to flee their homes in search for safety.

Oleksandr Petrykov, founder of Luxembourg price-comparison website LetzCompare, received a phone call from his father on early on Thursday evening. “Sasha - it has started. Russia attacked Ukraine...we are packing and will try make our way to you,” Petrykov’s father told him on the phone.

Like many of their compatriots they had prepared an emergency suitcase and could take off soon. Those who did not take such precautionary measures or had not filled their car with fuel had to face long queues at gas stations and be delayed further.

“They are still making their way, they only departed from Dnipro--my hometown--to the Polish border. They had to take shelter several times during the night because of sirens and bombing,” said Petrykov speaking to Delano.

Leaving the country by air is not an option as airports and railroads have been targeted by the Russian military.

“People have to unite and have to realise, that no one wants to have a war at home to fight for the country that they're not a citizen of, but if we don't stop this aggression, next will be Europe,” said Petrykov who is actively engaged in Luxembourg-based association LUkraine which is

Julien who lives in Luxembourg with his Ukrainian wife, Tanya has also had a second-hand experience of the traumatic events on Thursday. The couple have remained in touch with their family which is stuck in Kiev.

“As soon as the first explosions occurred in Kiev on Thursday at around 4.30am, the phone didn't stop ringing. It was my in-laws and close friends who live in Boryspil, in the Kyiv area, not far from the airport," said Julien, speaking to Delano’s sister publication Paperjam.

The couple is in disbelief following the situation in Ukraine. “In Kyiv life is Western, people are extremely shocked. I think you can't really see it from here, but over the last five years, Kyiv has made an extraordinary leap in terms of development. People live like in a European capital with shopping centres, bars, restaurants, nightlife, shows… " says Julien. “The only difference is the cost of living. So to wake up under bombing and Russian troops approaching, it's a shock for them, they were not ready for this situation and, until the last moment, they didn't think it could get so bad. We've seen videos, bombings, shaking windows, noise... we're not ready for this violence,” Julien adds.

He had been giving advice to his family for several days to prepare for the worst. “Buy an old mobile phone because the battery of a smartphone lasts a day; get some euros because, in the event of a conflict, Ukrainian money will quickly lose its value; stock up on provisions and petrol. The idea was to get out of Kyiv as quickly as possible,” Julien explains.

They got stuck in traffic jams. In the end, they stayed in Kiev because some roads were blocked.

Julien

A group of the couple's close friends reacted very quickly at the first sign of bombing. "They managed to leave Kyiv by car. But since then, we haven't heard much. The idea is to go to Poland or Romania and then come here to Luxembourg,” Julien says. “We have sent them documents showing that they have family in Luxembourg, and the aim is not for them to stop in Poland, but for them to get here and then do the administrative procedures,” he adds.

On the other hand, Julien's in-laws were unable to leave the Ukrainian capital. "They were stuck in traffic jams. In the end, they stayed in Kyiv, because some roads are blocked as soon as they leave the cities,” says Julien, who received information mentioning Russian forces 15km from the capital. “The Russians are at the gates of Kyiv, and those who have not managed to leave the city, I'm afraid, will be permanently blocked [there]. I think it's going to be very complicated to get them out now,” he added.

Asked why they were not brought to Luxembourg earlier, Julien says that it is not so easy to leave one’s country. "Tanya's brother has a family, a wife and a child. He is a bus driver. Coming here means leaving his job, and therefore his income,” he explains. “Tanya's mother is 77 years old. She was reluctant to come because of her poor health.”

In the first hours, in an absolute emergency, you think about your family and stay in constant contact with them.

Julien

Julien and Tanya are already thinking about the next step, namely how to accommodate the family, even if, for the time being, they are not sure how they will be able to keep their family safe in Luxembourg. "In the first few hours, in an absolute emergency, you think about your family and stay in constant contact with them. Later on, we will probably talk more with the Ukrainian community, which is quite close-knit in Luxembourg,” Julien says, increasingly worried, before adding: "I have just been told that Russian helicopters are over Kyiv. The Ukrainian army is starting to deploy in the city centre. There is going to be a battle in Kyiv during the night.”

This article was originally published on Thursday on and has been translated and edited for Delano.