My hands are shaking as I type this in. I have no idea how there'll be internet or how long will I be here to constantly update this post. The explosions are getting closer.
It is ironic. I never thought the "eulogy" part from my bio would come true, but here we are.
I will record every event I witness and go through during this invasion and forever store it on the blockchain.
It could end up being an incomplete record, and in that way it will turn into part of my eulogy.
- Woke up to a shaking room with shocking, loud, explosion like sounds at sharp 5:00 A.M.
- A barrage of calls and messages floods my phone as I try to put things together (but deep inside I already knew what has happened)
- I look out the window and I can see clear streaks left by missiles or projectiles on the sky, followed by a faint remenescent of smoke coming from the site of impact.
- After that it was almost an hour of calling around, replying texts, and scrounging the internet for more information.
- None of the news outlets had anything posted about these sudden explosions, but I think all the residents already knew what had begun.
- Decided the best route of action was to gather essential items and head out for the western side of Ukraine.
- Started looking for available bus tickets, train tickets, and cabs.
Everything is either sold out, or getting removed as quickly as they get listed.
Have another hour long discussion with friends and family about viable options while packing.
Go out to the Train Station in person as I can't find tickets online and also gather information.
It is complete chaos outside. Everyone is running. Where? I don't know.
Someone has 1 bag, some 3, some none. Some Babushkas are crying as they run, some children are crying as they hug their mother's shivering hand tightly, some running around like a headless chicken with no specific goal in mind. That was a scary view.
Immediately the first thing that caught my eye was the huge queues at the ATMs. A wave of flashbacks from 2014 hit me.
Another set of huge queues at the water terminals and storefronts. Big sign of things about to go from bad to worse.
Metro working as usual. The lady screaming "wear your masks!". Made me chuckle. Inside the station were people with bags, luggage, and some with pets, all heading towards the train and bus stations.
The train station was another kick of reality on the shin. More people than I could even see. All gathered around the ticket booths, some shouting over their lungs, some on calls, some weeping on the sides.
Walked towards the bus station where a similar view welcomed me. No bus tickets available. Private buses are booked. "Money doesn't matter anymore", that is what one of the drivers told me when I told him I had 15 people ready to pay any amount to get us out.
Looked for private cabs and more options, gave up after getting "no" from everywhere and the crowd only kept getting bigger.
Now it is 8:30 AM, only 3 and a half hours after the first explosion. There are officially no more buses and trains leaving to western Ukraine for the next 2 days.
Get a call talking about water shortages happening around the city. Head to the metro to find water cans without the queues.
In the metro I see water fountains being installed as well as extra benches. The underground metro stations are being turned into bunkers.
Lots of people inside the metro. 5x the normal. A lot of weeping kids, scared parents, fragile old people, lost passengers. All of them taking shelter and looking for answers inside. Also, metro and other transportations are declared free and without fare.
- Head to one the busiest places in the city to only find it completely deserted. A scary view.
- All shops and businesses are closed. Including supermarkets and grocery stores. ATMs still have a huge queue.
Seeing a lot of police officers and armed soldiers on the street and in the metro stations.
I want to make a final few purchases to store at home since I'll be stuck there for who knows how long. But the queues are very big.
People are fighting to get inside. Shelves are emptying by the second. Managed to get a couple of bottles of water.
Reached home safely. A lot of disappointed people coming back, too.
Sounds of explosions begin again. Streets are now empty and whatever few people are remaining out there are running to find shelter.
News emerges of tanks infiltrating the border and making their way into the city. A few buildings have been destroyed and they are firing indiscriminately.
Sounds of explosions have become louder now. I think they are coming closer and closer.
I have mapped out all the bunkers in the area and am going through the signals. One beep = warning. three beeps = evacuate and hide in shelters.
Another set of explosive sounds. This was very close. Felt my room shake.
Contacted the embassy but no realistic solution or guidance is being provided.
Another explosion. Can see the smoke directly from my window. Closest one yet.
Ex-landlord now a good friend called. He is worse than the Twitter trolls. Thinks the shelling is a made up conspiracy. Bruh I can feel them! I can see the smoke!
Considering going to the bunker. But it's overcrowded and I'm worried about thieves and looters.
Made it to a bunker under the building. More people are coming through. A few explosions can be heard outside. No clue what's goin on.
Everything is quite for now. Curfew has been imposed. Fear and anxiety is rising among some people, including myself, naturally.
Six continous explosions have shooken the place up.
A lot more people are rushing underground and bringing their pets along.
Some more people have joined us in the bunker. They say explosions are frequent and very nearby. Hoping for the best.
It's cold. Very cold. There's no heating down here and not enough blankets to go around.
Trying my best to catch some sleep. Who knows when will I get another chance to. However, it feels impossible. Can't sleep a wink. I'm cold and scared.
Exactly 24 hours have passed since the beginning of the invasion. Tensions are high as rumors of a air strike is passing around.
People are tired. Some have given up and left the bunker to go back home. I got only 2 hours of sleep, others got maybe lesser.
- Blackout. No electricity suddenly..
- Electricity keeps dropping frequently. In general, there is a regular current.
- I went out to stretch my legs and heard explosions. I can only assume it happened all night.
- Everyone's heading home. Some are going out to buy things or simply walk.
- A lot of chaos right and left. I am trying to contact red cross, UN, and more organizations to see and find some medium to leave the city and head to the Poland border but the results look grim.
- Looks like there may be a train that goes to Lviv. However, it is not certain if moving by train will be safe or not. But it is a risk I am ready to take.
- Contacting other people who are stuck here and want to leave.
- Many people are heading towards the train stations are there are rumors emerging of trains arriving and leaving.
- Have to drop the idea of traveling now since I got some news about Lviv not being the safest place as of now and also the Poland border isn't letting people in yet.
- Went out to look for a working ATM since I'll need more cash in my hands.
- I have decided to nest all the younger citizens of my country stuck in Kharkiv under my wing. They are all heading towards my location now.
- What beautiful weather! Something that finally gives me some peace. Fewer people outside than yesterday. No one's walking, everyone's jogging.
- Unfortunately, most of the ATMs are still closed or do not have money in them. In total, I have walked to check 7 ATMs.
- There are a few newly formed entrepreneurs on the street standing next to the ATMs. They'll give you cash if you transfer money into their accounts for a 10% "service charge".
- Finally found a working ATM with cash in it. Huge queue but worth the wait.
My body feels like wet spaghetti. My feet are sore. I feel exhausted. The mental pressure is insane. I'm going home now and will try to freshen up, shower, and hopefully eat something but I have no appetite.
Couldn't completely freshen up. Continuous multiple firing making my room shiver. We are running to the bunker now.
The most recent ones were extremely loud and felt close. Turns out they are around 7km away only. Can't confirm this information. But very probable considering how loud it was.
Way too many people for the bunker to hold. We are going to find extra space for them in the metro or other basements.
Everyone has ample space now. Heard a few more explosions but not as frequently. Spoke to my family, finally. 'twas good.
A loaf of bread now costs over 100 UAH, previously 12-14 UAH.
Finished a newspaper interview and a TV news interview. Ended them with requests to the foreign ministry and my prime minister to get us out.
Two more interviews and looks like it triggered a reaction. I got a all from a member of the embassy. However nothing productive came from the call. The advice is to stay low and wait for some sort of peaceful period when we can move.
Latest news from around the country is evoking mixed emotions in all the people in the bunkers with me. Uncertain future.
Right bois. This looks bad. Went out for a fresh breath of air and saw a rocket fly by in the distance. Looks like things are heating up. I'm gonna hunker down. Hopefully there's internet for me to come and add to this log. I'm sitting underground and I feel and hear the impacts.
Relatively good news. The sounds have become fainter meaning they aren't nearby. New info suggests things will get more heated up here on.
- Went out for some fresh air. All lights are off. No shops are open. No one outside. Not a single noise. Very eery.
Next update will be in a day or two. If not, then expect the worst. Thanks for the wishes and prayers.
The worst isn't here yet. Quite the opposite... Maybe. Full details coming soon.
Made it to Poland. I'm safe. Many people still stuck and trying to get out of Ukraine.
Took a car to get out on 26th Feb. Reached Poland on 2nd March. It was not easy in any ways. I'm currently looking for resources and information in Warsaw, Poland. I have a lot to say. And I will complete this log as soon as I get the opportunity to write down everything that has happened since the 26th.
Spoke to guilty and Gandalf. Just having someone to talk to is worth more than gold right now. Thanks guy! Slava Ukraina!
From 26th Feb to 2nd March
After doing all I could do, I decided to get out of Ukraine. The original plan was to take the morning train from Kharkiv railway station to Lviv and from thee figure out the rest. I was well aware I could have to walk 30 kms to the border in the freezing cold but it was better than dying like a sitting duck.
I reached the station late, there were sounds of explosions. I had to wait for the noon train which would either stop at kiev and I would have to take another train to lviv, or the train would go Uzhgorod. Nothing was clear.
There were mostly foreigners on the platform. Some familiar faces, a lot of people who knew me directly or indirectly, and many people that I hadn't seen before.
Everyone was standing, although the train still had hours to make it to the platform. Obviously everyone was anxious and scared. I found a group of friends who eventually decided to make the risky drive to the border instead of waiting. In retrospect, it was probably a bad decision.
If we took the train we would directly reach Lviv or Uzhgorod and could find a way to make it to the border. All it would take was a few hours of waiting, and after leaving the train a few hours of trying to get to the border.
Going by car was riskier because there was no guarantee we would ever make it. We didn't know which routes were safe and how would we drive almost 1700 km.
We started strong. We were scared. However, almost on every major street we came across check posts guarded by the army and the general mobilization. They checked our cars, documents and let us go.
This was very good. They were there to recommend us safe routes and tell us what to avoid and how to go. Some stations only had the general public who were not army but volunteered into the general mobilization. They were holding rifles with pretty much nothing else. But I could feel their intense will power.
On the road I saw a lot of things. There were times we could hear shilling not too far away from the road and even feel the vibrations. We also saw a burning vehicle which wasn't shot too long ago. It was scary. Every minute of it.
The cars were all crowded. For most of the part I was sitting on a suitcase. It was very uncomfortable and having so many people in the group made it worse. We had to constantly take breaks for fuel, bathrooms, energy and so on.
On the night of 27th we had to take a huge break. All of us were very exhausted. Almost impossible to keep our eyes opened. We decided to take a break when we reached what was then considered a "safe" city.
To reach this city we were guided to go through a "back road". Basically it was a cleared road through a forest that didnt exist on the map. It was a very rough road and we were told to go as fast as possible. We thought our car would break into pieces there.
- After reaching the city however, we couldn't find a place to rest. So we rang up the emergency number and they did find a place for us.
PLEASE NOTE I WILL NOT BE MENTIONING ANY LOCATIONS AND PEOPLE BY NAME FOR THEIR SAFETY
Through a very clever security clearance system of multiple layers through calls we were directed to a shelter not too far away from Kyiv. Kyiv was then the main focus of all attacks.
We did think we were safe. But no. My friend and I stepped out of the shelter for namaaz when we saw a fighter plane fly right over our heads. In the dark it was impossible to say which side the plane belonged to.
Not too long after the sounds of shelling and airstrikes filled the air. At around 2 am, I woke up completely paralyzed. An unending constant sound of airstrike or shelling or shooting filled the air. It went on for almost 30 minutes and I was paralyzed thinking this was it. I am going to die now.
Next morning we discussed and decided the noises were richoceting from Kyiv. We then recouped and continued the journey.
The routes we used to reach until this point were now closing up. Turns out the attack was getting bigger and harder and the roads were getting affected. The people would have to find different routes now.
We reached around 300 km close to the border from Lviv. We decided to buy some water from a shop nearby. I decided to go to the washroom. Suddenly the sirens went up. There were a lot of shouting voices telling everyone to leave.
We all went outside hurrily as the women screamed in fear and children cried loudly. We stood in the parking of the shop. All of us. Under open sky. With an imminent air strike on its way. Can you imagine what that felt like?
We stood there in a group. Maybe a hundred people. No one left the parking with their cars since the roads are a bigger risk. No one went inside the shop since it could collapse on the head. So the open parking was the only relatively safer option.
After a very long 20 minutes which felt like a lifetime ended, we were told its safe now. We forgot about the water and straight started driving again.
We again reached a road which was packed. It was about 7 kms long but took us 30 minutes to clear through. After we cleared that road we were told to go through a village as the road ahead was overpacked.This was another rough road but better than not moving at all.
As we got closer to the border area the checking in the check posts got more thorough. They took their time to see through the documents and check our cars.
Finally, almost one whole day of driving we reached within 50 km of the border. But it wasn't easy. From night till the next morning we only cleared 15 km as the line of cars was moving very slowly.
Then there was another check point after which another long line of cars. We were swapping drivers every few hours to keep our energy up. But eventually we were 30 km away from the border.
This was the line of cars that was both a relief and scary. We heard rumors of this line taking anywhere from 2 days to a week to clear. There were also rumors of the army picking out men from the line (all is bs as none of this happened). So we were pretty scared.
There was no way of understanding why the line was taking so long. Only after we crossed the border we realized. That 30 km. It will forever be imprinted in my brain. The shit I have seen there. I cant forget. I am tearing up just thinking about it.
All the cars were told to drive on the extreme right hand side to leave space for "emergency vehicles" in the middle of the two laned road. There were polite, army, ambulance, luxury vans, and some private cars with police escort rushing through that space. It was hard to understand what the private cars and vans had that they could pass through the special lane.
Tensions were very high and people were emotional and impatient. There were 3 instances were cars tried to cut in front of us. The cool thing was, even if we were foreigner and the line cutters were locals, the locals came to our help and together we successfully made them drive all the way back.
But after we cleared 1 km and reached a check point the real scary things began showing up. Taxis and some mini-vans carrying passenger were not being allowed further. The passengers were now forced to walk all the 30 kms to the border. In the cold.
We also caught glimpses of empty cars being driven away from the border by Ukrainian men with tears in their eyes. I could only guess that they dropped their family on the border and were driving back to join the army.
We also saw many people, including locals and foreigners walking towards the border on foot after being told their taxis/vans cant get in. The worst thing I saw was a family of four with the youngest not older than5 year old walking. Saw another foreigner whos luggage handle was broken and the wheels were gone. He tied a piece of cloth to the luggage and dragged it.
I got tired of all this waiting and with a mixed emotion of anger, frustration and exhaustion I approached a police officer what was going on. He looked at me with a smile and put his hand on my shoulder and said the cars going through the middle were either emergency vehicles, people with special needs, and delegations/dignitaries and that everyone would be let out we just had to wait a little longer. Somehow I was shocked that he responded to me so nicely given my approach. But I think he's seen many like me.
That last 30 km took us 1 and a half day to cross. Theres one last small town between the long stretch and the final stretch. We stopped there to exchange our Ukrainian UAH for PLN. We could only get 100 USD and 100 PLN. Sucks, but better than nothing.
The last stretch was 7km long. All along the final 30 km were Ukrainians who had set up stalls for free food and water. It was incredible how much the people were helping each other. There were people running around with pampers for those who needed. It was incredible to see all that. Hot tea and coffee, soup, pirojki, water. Anything and everything to make the last 30 km a little easier.
Just 5 km away from the border was the last check point. A huge group of people that came walking were waiting there to be cleared to go through the 5km into the immigration. Most of them had the look of death on their face. I do not know how did they make it. But they did. On foot. In the cold. Some were sitting, some still standing, some lying on the floor out of exhaustion.
We stopped there for a bit as we recouped and distributed the free tea to the people that walked there. Man. I cant think of all this forget writing it forever on the blockchain. These memories are so disturbing. But yeah, we distributed tea, we gave away some of our UAH to the volunteers and drove to the immigration.
The immigration was smooth but took some time. At a time just about 4 cars can pass through the immigration. And the same on the Polish side. Then there are the walkers. They had to be cleared to. Only now it was clear why the lines were so long and slow.
On March 1st, a journey that began on 26th February finally came to and end. We cleared the immigration and were finally inside Poland.