On Thursday morning, dozens of Ukrainian citizens arrived at the border crossing point in Sighetu Marmației, northern Romania, for fear of the war that Russia started tonight.
Thousands of Ukrainian citizens could arrive in Romania in the coming days. Officials in Bucharest said on Wednesday they were preparing to receive 500,000 refugees.
“The people who arrived at the border are mainly tourists from all over Europe, whom the bombings found in Ukraine, in Bukovel. They said they heard from the hotels where they were staying everything that was happening. Now they are coming to Romania on foot, they have chosen to flee the war. Their flights were canceled anyway. Whole families of Ukrainians came by car. They have relatives in Sighetu Marmației and they say that they came indefinitely, because in their country there is a general panic and, among other things, it is no longer possible to pay by card,” according to a Digi 24 report.
Romania is now preparing to set up refugee camps in Sighetu Marmației, a city in northern Romania, near the border with Ukraine, as waves of people are expected to arrive from the neighbouring country any time.
Ukrainians are also fleeing from Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, according to footage depicting huge columns of cars blocking the highway at the exit from Kiev. Others took the buses by storm to leave the city. Meanwhile, others have taken refuge in subway stations or are kneeling on the streets.
The Guardian journalist Luke Harding reported on Twitter from Kiev that people are queuing at ATMs. There are also queues at ATMs in Mariupol.