There is a sea of red taillights all the way from the center of the country to the western border with Poland.
Hundreds of thousands of people got into their cars and left the country after the Russian invasion began.
The night before, restaurants and cafes in Kyiv were open and operating as usual. Markets and banks had no lines. Depending on who one spoke to, the anxiety was masked.
The explosions could be heard in the morning. There were conflicting reports of fierce fighting with Russian ground troops at an airport 20 km from the capital. The central bus station shut down by late morning and people began pouring into the train station. An announcement over the PA system urged calm, and most of the trains heading east had been canceled. People who couldn't or wouldn't travel west took cover in underground metro stations. Many people got into their cars.
The exodus has been orderly. Motorists mostly obey traffic rules, even in traffic jams. The long lines at cash machines, gas stations, pharmacy, and supermarkets are as efficient as they could be in a society where a receipt is generated for the smallest transaction. Most places have electricity, mobile phone service, and internet access.
The online map apps have been accurate in showing delays. Because the apps are dynamic in real time, adjusting to estimate the best and fastest routes, and given the huge volume of vehicles on the move, every road has been jam-packed. Most of the vehicles, whether luxury SUVs and budget hatchbacks, have Kyiv license plates.
It was not easy, with broken down cars on the side of the road, unpredictable obstacles, and unnerving dangers. There are rules about who gets priority to buy fuel at gas stations. At one station, an employee asked for a special gas card, but it was unclear what that meant and the request didn't come up at other stations.
Lawyer Andriy Oliev was able to fill up and eat a hot dog. He said that it was more dangerous in Kyiv than anywhere else in the country. They are invading from a country. They are trying to catch Kyiv between two lines of fire.
M Ahtisham Bhutta was one of eight students from Pakistan who were waiting for the next train at the Bila Tserkva train station. He said that they had been studying at the National Agrarian University for the last six months.
Bombs blasted last night, it was horrible for us. There are more than 10 bombs. We were asleep. We woke up after it happened. He said he could see the flashes of light. My family has been calling and listening to the news. I am the only son of my parents and they sent me here for a good education. Who knows now? It is very difficult for the mothers of the students.
There was a manicurist nearby, who was scared by the explosions this morning. She said that nothing had ever happened like that before. She said she was going to Poland.
She said that she was sad and that her friends and family were here. They cannot leave. They have their own families. They don't know what life would be like after they leave. Where will we go? What are we going to do? They already purchased food, water, everything.
There was only a small military presence in central Ukraine at night, with occasional trucks and equipment clearly belonging to support, not combat, units. A large group of men gathered at a gas station. Some were military, some police, and some were civilians. They didn't want to be photographed or answer questions.
The rumors added to the stress of the voyage. The Ukrainian government shot down a Russian aircraft north of the city, but it was not confirmed. There were sirens on the streets. The sound of each wail was followed by an announcement that people should take cover. The police were on high alert, with the official Ukrainian media constantly warning of Russian spies. Along with another American journalist, I was questioned by the police for over an hour and asked to produce documents multiple times.
Many cars and trucks started making U-turns at a point west of Vinnytsia, telling oncoming motorists that a bridge had been blown up. I saw that there were unconfirmed reports. The Ukrainian Army destroyed a bridge to prevent the Russians from using it. Letychiv is over 200 miles away. The bridge was intact and the traffic jams were caused by the police and military.
The Ne Puhu Ne Pera was a popular restaurant in Letychiv. Many of its menu items were sold out, but what remained was a hot meal for weary travelers.
A lawyer, his wife, a doctor, and their three children left their home in Dnipro before the city was hit by air and missile strikes. The city is located on the Dnieper River, which divides east and west Ukraine. We had to flee Georgia in 2008. It was the same thing.
We have been driving for 15 hours straight because we don't want to waste time. We will decide what to do once we are in a safe space. Maybe Germany.
Maluza said it was hard to be in an unstable situation. If Russia leaves, we can go back.
Dasha and her family were traveling with her baby boy and her husband in a van. They had been on the road for nine hours without stopping, because they continued to hear the air raid sirens as they passed through towns and cities.
It was shocking. She said that they were running and rushing to pack everything after the first explosions. It is impossible to explain what happens in your soul in a situation like that. What might happen to your family and baby. I would like for Putin and his family to live the same way that we did. I want the Russians to stand up against Putin.
Able-bodied men are not allowed to leave the country because they are supposed to stay and fight. To make it harder for Russian planes to find their targets, the cities of Ukraine are blacked out at night. It remains to be seen if any of these people can return to their homes soon.
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