Mirror reporter Andy Lines is on the frontline of the evacuation efforts across Ukraine as thousands are faced with the devastating decision to run in a bid to save their lives
Russian troops are bearing down on Ukraine’s capital after the Kremlin launched its long-anticipated military operation.
Ukrainian officials said on February 27 they had agreed to talks with Russia without preconditions.
Thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes as shelling makes it impossible to remain safely in the country.
The United Nations estimates up to four million people could be displaced by the end of the conflict.
Mirror reporter Andy Lines is in Ukraine and is seeing first-hand the devastating human cost of the ongoing invasion.
He said: “The air raid sirens went off yet again and we ran down the steps to the church basement for the second time in two hours.
“A little girl brought her colouring book and a middle-aged woman struggled down with her large, elderly black labrador.
“For some, it was their fourth trip to the basement in just 14 hours.
“A young newlywed couple stopped me to urge the UK to get Vladimir Putin put on trial for genocide.
“Then a young receptionist used a loud hailer to check all the hotel guests had crossed the road to the church and were safe.
“It’s the same in big cities across the country.
“Families sleeping in basements, wondering if tonight is the night Vladimir Putin will launch his expected massive air attack.
“It plays on everyone’s mind. Here in Lviv no one can relax. It’s a city under curfew.
“As we came in by car we were stopped at numerous checkpoints.
“There was an official military one, with armed personnel carriers and soldiers, but most were run by locals protecting their community.
“Inside the city at the moment it feels reasonably safe. I saw one civilian walking around with a machine gun.
“The trams are still running but the city feels pretty quiet.
“I walked up to the train station.
“There were handwritten signs with people offering to pay extra for already purchased tickets.
“I could hear the cries of babies and children as they waited for their parents to buy tickets for the train to Poland.
“Inside the ticket hall was chaos.
“Max Myronov was taking his six-month-old nephew Daniel over the border to see his dad, who worked in Germany. “We need to make sure he’s safe,” he said.
“As I walked back through the snow some people had tied blue and yellow ribbons on pavement posts. Lviv is a city which will never surrender to the Russian army.”
