Source: Xinhua News Agency
Kiev, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- As the situation in Ukraine becomes increasingly tense, citizens of the capital Kiev are asked to take refuge in subway stations and bomb shelters, and many citizens choose to leave the city.
Lu Jinbo, a reporter from the Minsk branch of the Xinhua News Agency 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 on the 24th, overcame many difficulties such as blowing up the bridge and sealing the road, and forced a stop with guns, and arrived in Kiev late at night. What did the reporter experience on the streets of Kiev on the 25th? Please look at the first-line report he sent back -
They left the city
In the morning, still asleep, I was woken up by a knock on the door of a colleague from the Kiev branch of Xinhua News Agency, "Hurry up, pack up your things and go to the bomb shelter!" On the same day, the city of Kiev again asked residents to take refuge in the nearest air defense facility as soon as possible because of the bombing of residential buildings. Pick up your camera, computer, power bank and other equipment and we will set off immediately.
Going downstairs, the little girl in charge saw us leaving with our bags and asked us urgently: "Are you leaving Kiev?" If so, can we go together? I replied, "We certainly won't leave at this time." ”
People take a ride on the streets of Kiev, Ukraine, preparing to leave Kiev on Feb. 25. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Lu Jinbo
Walking on the road, I found that the roadside was full of pedestrians with suitcases, and they reached out to stop the car as they walked, ready to take a ride out of the city.
When we got to the Arsenal metro station where we were preparing to take refuge, I found that there were a lot of people with luggage gathered at the entrance of the subway station. It turned out that this was one of the gathering points out of the city, and many people were waiting for the departing vehicles here. I saw nearly 20 people in one of the 9-seater vans. It can be said that a seat away from the city is hard to find.
People take shelter in a subway station in Kiev, Ukraine, on Feb. 25. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Lu Jinbo
Supplies are in short supply
After working as a reporter at the branch, I drove to the gas station, but when I arrived at the gas station, I found that there was no long queue. But after inquiry, I learned that there was no gasoline at no more than 95 and 92..." Do you know where there is still No. 95 gasoline at the nearby gas station?" I asked. The response I got was, "That's a tough question. ”
I had to look at a map of my phone and look it up the street, but found that the gas stations were almost all closed.
This is an empty street photographed in Kiev, Ukraine, on Feb. 25. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Lu Jinbo
It was getting late, so I went back to the small supermarket near the branch to buy dinner, and when I entered the door, I found that the drinking water shelves were empty. A local brother hugged the yogurt and enthusiastically told me: "There is something left, pick it up!" "I walked over to the bread shelf and looked and saw that the bread was sold out. The supermarket security guard told me that there would be bread, "but as soon as the supermarket opened, I would come and buy it."
In the end, I picked out the few remaining sausages and the last few bottles of milk. Swipe the card at checkout, and after one swipe, two swipes, and three swipes, it still did not succeed. The clerk told me: "You are a Belarusian card, you can't use it here..." Forget it, don't buy it.
The building pipe is gone
Back at the branch, I knocked on the glass and asked the building manager to open the door, knocking left and right and knocking on the wrong side. At this time, a grandfather walking his dog in the building came back to help me open the door.
After entering the door, the grandfather looked for the little girl in charge of the building and could not find it. I said that the building manager may be gone, and asked him: "The building management is gone, don't you go?" The old man got excited, lifted his clothes and said, "Look! "I fixed my eyes on it, pistol! He pulled it out from his waist and took out the clip full of bullets and showed me the bullets.
On February 24, in Kiev, Ukraine, a long line of vehicles leaving the city was lined up. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Sergei Starastenko)
Anastasia, a citizen of the art industry, told reporters: "I still hope that the situation will develop in a good direction, so that people can live comfortably in Ukraine, and we all believe and want everything to be fine... I plan to stay in Ukraine. ”