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In the face of the explosion of the bridge, the road was closed and the gun was forced to stop The reporter drove 550 kilometers at night to Kiev to record

author:Bright Net

Kiev, 25 Feb (Xinhua) -- Russia decided on February 24 to launch a special military operation in the Donbass region, and Ukraine subsequently declared the whole territory into a state of war.

Lu Jinbo, a senior journalist who has been stationed in Asia and Europe for many years and has reported on two trips to Ukraine, drove all the way through the customs, overcame many difficulties such as blowing up bridges and blocking roads, and forced to stop with guns, and arrived in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, late at night. Please look at the first-line report he sent back -

Let's go! Make the impossible possible

In the early morning of February 24, the mobile news app frantically pushed the latest news - the major news of Russian President Putin's decision to launch a special military operation in the Donbass region. According to the unified deployment of Xinhua News Agency, as the first reinforcement reporter, I immediately began to contact the channels into Ukraine.

In the face of the explosion of the bridge, the road was closed and the gun was forced to stop The reporter drove 550 kilometers at night to Kiev to record

Video screenshots

There were no planes or trains, and I grabbed a long-distance bus ticket, but an hour later the booking office staff contacted me: "The Russian-Ukrainian border is now closed, all long-distance buses are canceled, you can't get by!" ”

I have gone to Ukraine to support crimea's entry into Russia and the conflict in eastern Ukraine, and I know that under the current chaos, many things are not in order. With the mission at hand, I decided to set off immediately, first to the border and then talk, to make the impossible possible!

Equipment such as cameras, gasoline drums, etc. are loaded into the car, passports, travel certificates and other customs clearance documents are ready, and we are ready to go!

Convince the checkpoint staff to let it go

He shook hands with me to say goodbye

About 550 kilometers from Minsk, the capital of Belarus, to Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, the navigation shows that the drive takes almost 8 hours.

In the face of the explosion of the bridge, the road was closed and the gun was forced to stop The reporter drove 550 kilometers at night to Kiev to record

I went to the gas station closest to the Ukrainian border in Belarus, filled up with oil, two hot dogs and a cup of tea to pad my stomach, bought a bag of bread, a large bottle of water, and began to break through!

The staff of the Belarusian checkpoint stepped forward and told: "Now there is a war in Ukraine, you can't go over." ”

I immediately presented my press card in Belarus, my press card in Russia, my passport, my travel certificate, and my car certificate, and I also moved out a reason for customs clearance: "Our journalist colleagues in Kiev are busy reporting that they are tired and sick, and they are in urgent need of help!" ”

The staff thought for a moment and then advised me that the bridge deck of the main road in front of me had been blown up, and even if I wanted to go, I would not be able to get to Kiev. But seeing that my determination had been made, he finally agreed to let me go with a look of admiration and helplessness. After all the formalities were completed, he came out to shake hands with me and bid me farewell, wishing me a smooth work.

In the face of the explosion of the bridge, the road was closed and the gun was forced to stop The reporter drove 550 kilometers at night to Kiev to record

The Ukrainian side of the White-Ukrainian border crossing was empty and staffed. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Lu Jinbo

I drove to the Ukrainian side of the checkpoint with trepidation, got out of the car and walked to the guard post, and saw that the telephone and other office equipment were all there, and the lights were still on, but I didn't see anyone.

Two large Belarusian trucks happened to pass by, the driver skillfully pressed the button, and the railing was raised. I asked the driver, "Doesn't my passport need an entry stamp?" What if I leave Ukraine again? The driver smiled and said, "Self-help!" ”

The Ukrainian uncle of the border village asked me:

"It used to be a war zone, what are you going to do?"

It was racing along the empty road, and suddenly the road shown on the navigation was gone. Hurry up and brake, get out of the car and look at it, a piece of cement residue. Further on, the wide river is the bridge that the checkpoint staff mentioned that was blown up.

In the face of the explosion of the bridge, the road was closed and the gun was forced to stop The reporter drove 550 kilometers at night to Kiev to record

More than 30 kilometers into Ukraine, the bridge across the main river was destroyed. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Lu Jinbo

The local mobile phone signal is very poor, navigation can only look at a rough idea, groping for directions. Nearby villages are almost closed. I met a few old men chatting outdoors and asked me, "You're going to Kiev?!" The bridge blew up, can't go over! Want to take a detour? Through the woods, drive 30 kilometers! It used to be a war zone, what are you going to do?! ”

All attempts were unsuccessful, but thanks to a car coming out of the woods, I hurriedly stopped the driver, who pointed a way.

The snow in the forest had melted, the roads were muddy, 5 kilometers of road, and it took more than an hour to drive. It was dark and there was not a sound around. Flashing thoughts, what should I do if the car breaks down? Can't go back, can only go forward!

Finally bypassed the broken bridge and opened the main road. Start bumping into tanks and tanks from time to time. I know, the goal is near!

In the face of the explosion of the bridge, the road was closed and the gun was forced to stop The reporter drove 550 kilometers at night to Kiev to record

Navigation shows that Chernigov can only pass around the city.

Ukrainian soldiers with guns:

"Who let you over?"

Towards Chernihiv, there were significantly more barricades, and I was intercepted for the first time by checkpoints. The Ukrainian soldiers were briefly questioned and inspected before being released.

At the fork in the road, the low beam illuminated the ground in the distance like something, and after slowing down, it was clear that two people were lying on the ground being examined.

About 10 soldiers in camouflage uniforms rushed up to me with guns and shouted, "Stop! flameout! I lowered the car window and tried to wave in, but several guns were pressed closer: "Hands on the steering wheel!" ”

I communicated quickly with them in Russian, got out of the car as instructed to open the doors and trunk, and take out all the documents.

The other party was very angry and asked, "Who let you come?" How did you get here? The bridge is broken, where are you from? Didn't anyone intercept you? ”

I answered truthfully what I was doing and what I saw and heard. They checked that the documents were correct and then released them again, adding: "We are friendly with China!" ”

Finally, I saw the gas station open next to the main road, so I quickly went inside to buy a local mobile phone card. But the POS machine at the gas station was broken, and I could only use cash, and I didn't have local currency. At this time, three rifles came in through the door of the gas station, which scared me into a cold sweat. It turned out that three young policemen had come in to buy cigarettes. One of the policemen saw my difficulties and bought a phone card out of his own pocket to send me. The calling card was 100 hryvnia (about $3) and I gave him $5 to thank him.

I took the opportunity to chat with the police about the situation in Kiev. He said, "Very bad! Everyone is evacuating, you should also leave, it is too dangerous to go in. I asked him why he didn't go, and he replied, "This is our home, and I will stay here to guard." ”

A loud noise was heard as I fast-forwarded to Kiev

Starting again, getting closer and closer to Kiev, I suddenly saw a flash of light in the sky, followed by a loud noise. He quickly called a reporter from the Kiev branch of the Xinhua News Agency and asked if he was safe. A colleague told me that Kiev had imposed a curfew and that I might not be able to get in.

In the face of the explosion of the bridge, the road was closed and the gun was forced to stop The reporter drove 550 kilometers at night to Kiev to record

Obstacles on the road about to enter the kiev city. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Lu Jinbo

Sure enough, the navigation suddenly prompted the road ahead to be closed. Immediately after that, I saw the police officers with live ammunition, and I slowed down and stopped to be questioned.

After I identified myself as a Chinese journalist, the police verified the information and released me, and told me that the city would be attacked if it could not be prepared tomorrow morning. He wished me every success in the interview and I wished him all the best.

There are no more levels! Probably because of the high tension of the nerves along the way, I actually circled three times on the bridge near the Kiev branch to find the right exit.

Finally, I met up with a colleague who had been working on the front line of reporting for several days. Next, we will send back reports from Chinese reporters at the forefront of the situation in Ukraine. It is hoped that the conflict will be resolved as soon as possible, the parties concerned can resolve the issue through negotiations and the lives of the local people can return to the right track.

Reporter: Lu Jinbo

Produced by the International Department of Xinhua News Agency

Produced by Xinhua News Agency's International Communication Integration Platform

Source: Xinhua News Agency

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