ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

Skip to main content

At the Ukraine border: Desperate flight of refugees fleeing the Russian invasion

Share

The stories are horrific and heartbreaking. Families are being fractured, as men of fighting age are required to stay within Ukraine’s borders, while their families get to safety.

Transport is chaotic, with a train trip that would normally take two hours now taking 30.

Desperate, Ukrainians and others are fleeing to neighbouring countries south and west of Ukraine. The majority are crossing into Poland, where shelters have been set up with food, cots and a chance to rest.

That’s where W5 spoke with Zoya, a grandmother who walked 15 kilometres in the cold to get to safety with her daughter and five-year-old granddaughter. As Zoya and the young girl played with a pink flamingo toy, she told W5 they were exhausted, but trying to stay positive.

Olga, who travelled only with her cat and one suitcase, told W5 that she had a lot of friends still left in Kyiv and didn’t know what would happen to them.

Racism is rearing its ugly head as some Black refugees report being blocked from boarding trains and being delayed at border crossings.

Stephanie, a medical student from Nigeria, was trying to get through the border with her brother. It took four days. Visible minorities, the majority of them students from African or South Asian countries studying in Ukraine, are just trying to return to their home countries. They keep warm around a small campfire while waiting for their chance to cross.

Once on the Polish side of the border there is some hope for refugees, with countries opening their doors. On Friday the Canadian government announced that an unlimited number of Ukrainian refugees could come to Canada and stay for up to two years.

Others will be allowed to immigrate as permanent residents.

CTVNews.ca ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

Three men were injured after trying to subdue a man armed with a knife during afternoon prayers at a Montreal-area mosque Friday afternoon.

Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.

A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.

The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.

Advocates have identified the woman who died this week after being shot by police in Surrey, B.C., as a South American refugee who was raising a young daughter.

Provincial police investigating the death of a cat that was allegedly set on fire in Orillia earlier this week released surveillance video of a person of interest in the case.

Local Spotlight

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.