In Pictures

Gallery|Russia-Ukraine war

Photos: Ukrainians flee to Romania to escape Russia’s invasion

Thousands of Ukrainians cross the Danube into neighbouring Romania to escape the escalating war.

Crossing the river that separates war from peace
The ferry carrying Ukrainian refugees crossing the Danube into Romania arrives at the Isaccea border. As of this morning, some 12,000 Ukrainians have passed through this border crossing since Russia's invasion. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
By Ioana Moldovan
Published On 3 Mar 2022

Isaccea, Romania – On a Danube ferry beset by wind and waves, Ukrainian refugees fleeing their country after the Russian invasion are waiting to set foot in Romania. They have just crossed the river that separates war from peace.

Since Russian forces launched an attack on February 24, more than one million people have fled Ukraine, as per the UNHCR.

According to Romania’s Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca, as of Thursday morning, 118,461 Ukrainian refugees had entered neighbouring Romania. Many passed through to other countries, but Ciuca said at least 46,435 remain in Romania.

At the border crossing in Isaccea, some arrived in Romania on foot, pushing trollers or baby buggies, others managed to pass in their cars, packing the little they could take in their escape from war.

Heavy snow has hit the region in the last few days and refugees waiting in queue to take the ferry feel the cold in their bones. Some arrive late in the night, soaking wet.

“A Turkish truck driver saw my three kids and offered his cabin for us to stay safe from the cold,” a Ukrainian refugee coming from Odesa said.

On the Romanian side of the border, they are greeted with hot tea, food and blankets. The most vulnerable people are offered tiny rooms to sit and keep warm. With every passing day, the situation at the border becomes increasingly organised and the influx of refugees is managed quicker.

Buses or volunteers’ personal cars are waiting to take them further to their desired destinations. Most of the Ukrainians plan to travel further, as they have friends or family in other European countries.

Some that stay have been welcomed in Romanians’ houses or hotels, as many people have volunteered to help their Ukrainian neighbours.

Crossing the river that separates war from peace
A fire department press liaison officer helps a refugee with her luggage. Authorities and NGOs have mobilised to attend to the refugees crossing into Romania. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
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Crossing the river that separates war from peace
A Ukrainian family in a Lada, an old Russian car, cross the border at Isaccea. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
Crossing the river that separates war from peace
A number of Ukrainians are seen travelling with their pets at the improvised stalls offering free food and beverages near the border. Dog food was also provided. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
Crossing the river that separates war from peace
Employees of the Romanian General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (ISU) set up a large tent on Wednesday to allow refugees to keep warm and rest until travel arrangements are made for them. Previously, there were a couple of smaller tents which were sometimes overcrowded. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
Crossing the river that separates war from peace
Nine-year-old Valerya and her brother Vladimir, 3, play a game on a mobile phone. They fled the country with their mother, Margarita, 38, from Izmail, southwest Ukraine on Wednesday. The family plans to go to Constanta, a city on Romania's Black Sea, where they have some relatives. 'A lot of people died, we are afraid. So we left', Margarita says. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
Crossing the river that separates war from peace
Triage tents have been established at the border, where refugees wait until going to have their documents checked. The ones with biometric passports are set apart from those who do not have them and sent to different waiting lines. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
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Crossing the river that separates war from peace
Yeva, right, from Izmail, has 12 siblings. Eleven of them got on a bus together with their mother and escaped Ukraine. An elder sister, living in Odesa, stayed behind, along with their father. They have some friends in Isaccea who will take them in while they wait for the other sister to join them. They plan to travel on to Poland or Germany. 'It’s a pity that there’s all this fighting in Ukraine, but I think we will win and after a while, we will be part of the European Union. And we will be happy,' David, one of the children, says. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
Crossing the river that separates war from peace
A border control officer rushes to take a crying child indoors to a warmer place. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
Crossing the river that separates war from peace
The local gym in Isaccea has been transformed into a warehouse, with piles of donations being sorted out and dispatched from there. They are also gathering medicine and food to arrange humanitarian transport into Ukraine. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
Crossing the river that separates war from peace
A 22-year-old man from Izmail takes refuge at the local gym in Isaccea, which also provides accommodation for Ukrainian refugees. He was able to leave Ukraine despite a ban on men aged 18-60 from leaving, due to a medical condition. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
Crossing the river that separates war from peace
Volunteers sort through donations, separating them into different bags. Among the volunteers, there are also Ukrainians who had just crossed the border and decided to stay and help. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
Crossing the river that separates war from peace
A Ukrainian woman, Yeva, plays with her great-granddaughter, Ekaterina - who is just five months old. Yeva left Odesa on March 1 with her daughter, two granddaughters and two great-grandchildren. The family spent the night at the improvised accommodation set up at a local gym. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
Crossing the river that separates war from peace
Taisa Kryglaychenko from Odesa, with her grandmother and her 10-year-old daughter, leave the gym in Isaccea where they spent the day, towards Constanta. They will spend a couple of days there, at a hotel providing two nights accommodation for free and would proceed to Bulgaria, where they have some Bulgarian friends. Their car is packed with their belongings. In a separate car, there is Taisa’s sister, Irina, her five-month-old daughter Ekaterina and the sisters’ mother, Nadiejda. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
Crossing the river that separates war from peace
Nineteen-year-old Anna waits for her documents to be processed at the border crossing in Isaccea. A few moments earlier, she cried during a TV interview, saying how much she wanted to return to Ukraine. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]