Civilians in Ukraine are facing an increasingly dangerous situation as the Russian assault continues in multiple parts of the country.
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Some Ukrainians have taken up arms, while others have decided to flee to safer areas. One woman, sharing her account with KCBS Radio, finally decided she needed to flee Kyiv after hiding in her basement during the first day of Russia's invasion earlier this week.
Iryna Nemyrovych, Executive Director of the Ukrainian Healthcare Center, decided on Friday morning to head west towards Lviv after the situation became far too dangerous for her children.
"Seriously, it's everywhere, and the civilians are hurt," she recalled from a Vinnytsia gas station on Friday night in an interview with KCBS Radio. "This morning, we decided to leave when the orphanage was bombed near us. There were, like, 50 kids in there, it was near Kyiv and they just bombed an orphanage."
Nemyrovych waited hours in line on Friday for gas, which is in short supply. Chaos unfolded all around her as she lined up for her 20-liter allotment.
"We see the jet fighters flying over, we saw missiles flying, heading to one of the cities we were nearby," she said. "And the helicopter was shot down, like, 30 kilometers from the road we were driving on."
Still, she said morale is high. Many of her friends and family stayed behind to help the local resistance fend off the Russian attack.
Nemyrovych would’ve joined them, had it not been for the need to keep her small children safe.
"My parents, they stayed in Kyiv, and they joined the local resistance forces," she said. "They're making some food, like my grandparents are preparing food and bringing them to the armed forces, to the local resistance."
Nemyrovych said she took solace in the efforts of Ukraine’s armed forces, as the country’s defense ministry said on Friday that more than 1,000 Russian soldiers had been killed. Hours after Nemyroyvch spoke with KCBS Radio, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned of Russia attempting to storm Kyiv overnight Saturday.
"We hope that our army will stay strong, and they're gonna protect us," she said earlier.
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