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On the Road With Ukraine’s Refugees

2022-03-07 | 🔗

This episode contains strong language. 

In response to Russia’s increasingly brutal campaign against Ukrainian towns and cities, an estimated 1.5 million people — most of them women and children — have fled Ukraine over the past 10 days. It’s the fastest displacement of people in Europe since World War II.

While evacuating the capital city of Kyiv for Lviv in the west, a seven-hour journey that took two days and nights, the Daily host Sabrina Tavernise traveled alongside some of those fleeing the conflict.

Background reading: 

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For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
When doktor, posse Jani at Dana Farmer Cancer Institute showed how the media, mutation in lung cancer patients switches on cancer growth. It led to an FDA, approved drug. That was the first brought application of precision medicine in lung cancer. This each F r inhibitor has led the way for other active, targeted lung cancer therapies find out more about dean of harbour momentum at work at Dana Farmer, DOT, Org, slash stories from New York Times, unworkable borrow. This is a daily, in response to Russia's increasingly brutal campaign against ukrainian towns and cities, an estimated one point: five million people most of them. Women and Children- have led Ukraine over the past. ten days, the fastest displacement of people in Europe, since
world war to today, Sabrina Tavern, easy trend. Alongside them as they made their escape its Monday March. Seventh. We're leaving the historian hotel room what time is it for ten p m on Tuesday, and we're leaving the hotel room in cave He was very dark hallway to an elevator bring us down to the car where we will drive south and west last Tuesday
the New York Times made the decision to pull a group of reporters out of keys and bring them to a city in western Ukraine the safer called leave. I was one of those reporters and so my colleague Valerie Hopkins. The driveway supposed to take seven hours. Instead, it took us two days in tonight's and just as we close the trunk, the parking lot of the hotel. We heard this huge bang and then another we just heard so artillery unclear fits incoming or outgoing. We got the car and drove out and some ambulances. Driving by later. We would discover that those booms were. the russian military, trying to blow up the tab,
in tower in downtown Keith. The truck the traffic links have stopped working there, all blinking. It's really really sad they're so empty, is driving. Through an intersection, whether some very serious, licking barricades bunch of sandbags and probably couple of dozen men in black uniforms walking across the street holding rifles after driving down this back roads out of keys under that really dark low sky. We,
in the town of bullets in Accra and we woken up by another enormous boom. We kept right the next day thought we'd pretty easily be enriched by dinner time, but we just kept getting stuck meaningless checkpoint after checkpoint evil crush of cars for fifty p m on Wednesday. and we're in a line of as far as the I can see on the highway going west towards both from vineyards? Everybody has cars, packed with kids animals to woman holding a little boy dissuade them
lots of cars which had made signs in the window taped to the windows thing children dickie he's just struck. On four miles and miles and miles just going slowly five kilometres an hour and what kind of neck and neck. So am I, my head out the window here and see. If someone will talk to me, do you speak English, but I was just keep ya. You ve got it in your time, as you mean it with Sabrina. We had good as you warning editor needs. Rugged me. I saw you
If we reject probing needs you we ve been driving for six hours. Now must accept validity, which I'm pretty odd, no easy universities. I did I'm done they did but whose name is barbarity in his little kids? In the back, I venture to suggest yeah, I'm really feeling quite quiet down, because families going out and I'm gonna need to stay still. Breathing what the devil yemeni ribbon is emerging I was in a death before and addresses are already explosion, starting in Odessa, aka key issues. We must use the suggestion that, even if you just think what are your field
senior. What are you feelings in your heart rate now right now and they said very, very heavy, very pressed down and his wife, the strange cry but given that the Danube, that's Medina, Yeah, you got it in your time. Neither would Sabrina Worth boy, you they're, coming from Sheer Nineveh name, is Dmitri icebreaker. Where would you have what than what the racket pollution or they left the day before yesterday, We're
tired of sitting in the basement in a coffin, the planes were flying overhead, there above my house was it was a war going full force, Yes, some children are crying. The old old people are our are stuck into houses their planes flying over. They can get just tell them to help. Tell them too to stop. This tell them to stop what's happening, If you can tell somebody just tap communicate this, you have to stop this somehow. Someone friend remains there. We just left, they told us, it was mind
Please, please tell them to stop it. There were lots of moms consoling Children, how are you feeling got receiving? sitting on their laps sitting, the back playing with toys, really heavy, really so one letter baby had a stuffed mobile hung above her head made of cloth, mushroom, so high rapporteur from the New York Times when you talk to me of everybody, talked about what it was that push them to actually go. There were so many closure last night, the children were very afraid end for the most part, it was explosions bombs, so we're trying to get somewhere say children feeling terrified having to go down into basements all the time and parents justice
did they had enough where you gonna from here from here. We are open. You're welcome some green. My good deal. We finally reached the checkpoints. Everything Nigeria, rather than your crimes,. by the end of the day on Wednesday became pretty clear that we were never gonna make it to Aviv that night. It was our. Getting dark, and we need it off for the night- and we recall Everywhere any hotel and everything was full, nothing had rooms, and at some point my colleague, salary reached some in a town called viti- see
who said there was actually space at a kindergarten in their town. It didn't seem like a great option, but it was dark it was snowing and at that point we didn't have a better idea, so he drove to the town and we got out, and a man grew it introduced himself as them of the town, and he said to bring our passports up to the second floor register, and then we could have the room in the kindergarten I'm Sabrina say series use. Thank you for being here. They took us into the kindergarten- and it was this we're in a kindergarten and there's a little there's little copies, really brightly painted Series of rooms, Hobbes little church, child sized seats.
Whose painting of a giraffe and a palm tree on the wall and a lot of spider plants little silk flowers, and lots of little child size. Mattresses come here, come here, acceptance, knowing as the kitchen oh well, she could see the teapot. instant coffee, instant and then there's t bags. So we started to settle in for the night and a very kind woman who ran the kindergarten made food for us. Tremendous t, chimeras, spicy rice with chicken, and she had a huge job pickles that she had made herself that she she brought out and we took a pickle. We had dinner at a tiny, child size table sitting on tiny little child size chairs asking if this is the other family. Can I have say hello. and pretty soon another family shut up
Luba yeah era, mucks that so little is grandmother and then three grandchildren, nice, how old that's your twitter, how other usually somewhat over nineteen nineteen How old are you ass? You think. You're fifteen spoke to software. You couldn't The ninth aha, where we were driving for twelve hours here did you come from here, is keen to see how they came from, should cost you a little bit below our surprise, actual cherkis. It bore the per diem
I would urge the bulk of the river I'm saying what happened intricacy in their thing, explosions Chiquita shook which the Bulwark Whitworth cock up. What is surely we might see me. I thought I had my family that's living in Poland. Mama rose, the causes Indians, I need my mom was calling everyday issues really worried. Like she's, crying yeah, hamburger, killer starts the truth is, I would actually like to stay. Gaza trampled reluctant apple, I think I would be helpful in some way My mama my mom, I mean I want to be with her really be with her EDA cause. That's what computers to suggest. So what are you feeling right now in your heart? Now it's your machine, shooting national flag is the way that they must have been hoping tat. Finally, based on me, I was not. I was going in the car and I was a feeling like I was gonna.
Because I felt like I was leaving my country and it was actually Warren, and I was I was leaving my country since it was ass teachers and it's really horrible feeling actually with the workers to us here. This every day is horrible fighting to judge that are, but we gotta get us texting eyes at the dutch fastness. My dad is still in the town, and so is my boyfriend and they're doing in my boyfriend. Actually went to to do the men, the checkpoints and that's that can be a dangerous thing in Two men, the checkpoints whose point ourselves,
you knew you did he stayed there and he won't leave. suddenly a good and one hand I really proud of fighting and replaced it on the institutions. I had given him up with themselves and yet I need you. On the other hand, I was trying to convince him not to do it, but then I thought no ok go I know that yes and. A few days offering us offering us little pancakes with meat in their sobered. but we were their standing in the kindergarten talking a woman- walked in her name is Larissa. hotel rate down the street, and she told us was overflowing going upstairs popular. people are sleeping, some are going to try to send
He took us to her hotel and we went inside, we saw people live, everywhere. sleeping in the quarter. There too, hallways hundred labels, and this is another little place sleeping underneath the piano there's a place next to a piano so our men is showing me where there are going to be sleeping, is carrying a little child in a back room was very small, was lonely will do The third issue is more. Sometimes it feels like it just as it is an old movie that you're watching something something something bizarre. Each time a thing I'm incoming welcome: where are you going to sleep under the table to women and a young child? He just came to the door and
Suddenly we heard this year rate sirens downward in everyone. The hotel move toward a trap door in the floor in climb down the basement. scary little grocers, Barcelona objectives? they they suffered such days, my children. Was the username initially we heard here huge blouse, they were shooting. It is time we hear people are suffering from the journalists, work, recently gave me died natural, a black, it's the workmen. Yes, he eighty
we left where was trying not to cry and care for when we left Cuba, Saudi, just crying and musketeers couldn't win. Mr though praise God forbid, we really on the ukrainian Army to to win my region, companies private. Do we We see how it's so unjust, what's happening so angel, but if we want the ukrainian Army to win so we're going back out of the shelter now back out of the basement. Guess the dangers over what time It's ten twenty six, but we got the all clear. After about half an hour, the families claimed back up the stairs into their
always in back rooms in next the piano and we went back to the kindergarten for the night speculated energy by the night. When you we'll be right back this past is supported by a shares. The shift to a low carbon economy is changing the way people invest
I share sustainable e t s help you position your portfolio to manage sustainability, related opportunities and risks such as climate change, get your share of progress at I shares dot com, slash sustainable visit. I shares that kind of your prospectus, which includes investment objectives, risk These expenses and other information you should reading consider carefully before investing risk includes principle ass. There is no guarantee. Any fund will exhibit positive, are favourable sustainability characteristics prepared by Blackrock investments. Llc a Michael Agnes, assisted managing editor at the New York Times overseeing international coverage, when the russian military decided to begin its attack on Ukraine. We were there from the moment the invasion began. Our reporters photographer whose videographer is audio experts were there to bear witness,
We want to make sure that if the town hall is hit, if hospital is hit at the world knows, and they will know because our people are there putting themselves in harm's way not for glory but for a mission, it's our job to Billy, try to figure out what the truth what the facts are on the ground in the newsrooms of New York London and saw we also have dozens and dozens of journalists working on twenty four hour live coverage. The New York Times can help you. We understand what's happening with this war now and what it I mean in the future. If you want to keep up with. What's going on in Ukraine, follow our coverage and why times dot, com, Slash, Ukraine,
in the morning we all got up together. There is just one bathroom and at that point probably fifty people in the kindergarten. So we all took turns. Where are you going? Are you going to do
you going to so many times, and I ve been talking to people about where they're going and why they laughed wider Julie. Why? I was up, there is a lot of palms guys. Is there something that you have behind? They wanted to break the gutter. Cutlery should back what what is it tat? You are still there. We have helped you used to its end
which is a grandma with a cramp. What's the answers? Name push him? Who is here now? What is bullshit me? Pusher sucre look programmes so his weight, ah good name Sanctions are chosen. There's a little girl trying to get into the bathroom I didn't ask: I must
drilling or the children's names, but she doesn't know them by era. I believe the school now just my view we must establish, it's very snowy road, It's twelve thirty on Thursday and were in a checkpoint line in western Ukraine that stretched at least two hours, if not more.
in mothers taking little kids to offer to the full build on the right side of the road here to p and go to the bathroom one woman was pulling up her little boys, green underpants, just better go. and we saw a woman helping Julie woman abolished down the download. This sort of grassy area to get to the bottom, so she could go to the bathroom and she fell, and then she tried to help her and she was helping her up. Just an incredibly Line, that's all of these people from all of these parts of Ukraine from all over are waiting in to get out, This is what happens when an entire country tries to evacuate in a week.
Or at the very beginning, I point line that we ve been in for two hours and were just pulling up. One thirty, seven alone. Bulgaria, visa passports looks territorial defence, guy, checking or passports says: look, I gotta drive them about the perversion we finally got to leave. In the afternoon. On Thursday, the city was, act and overflowing the train station was swarming with people. The view is a place where people say goodbye,
Men go back to their towns because the men Leave Ukraine, women in children going to Poland. We're driving up to the train station and It is quite crowded street system. Works on either. Side of the street are just pact, lots of children, and now we're gonna get out and go with Alina the volunteer who's gonna take us to the translation when I got to leave, I went to that. and station with a volunteer named Alina Offer, America are driver. She's Can you help refugee women and children? with a mostly in the train station. This is a hot hot. Sidewalk people are leaving the translation flood just a river. leaving the translation.
Oh my god, this is an unbelievably pact transition. You can't move It's like I'd say, The idea is that Poland, like This is absolutely appalling, but now we have woven boys are waiting for mothers and their children of her when our in two years is situated and wrong. We are coordinated the output of russian when you I'm trying to get through, and we can't you see what That's very huge bags rate at my knees. Backpack my my there's. A little boy herring holding a parakeet, a green parakeet, clear plastic container that looks like it.
Some have carried tomatoes in little per account. Thank goodness This is what the commission is now, what about people are people are grabbing their bags moving. suddenly with? urgency and desperation the walking through the main tournai. Why do you guys? talking to the crowd was able to Who is this surge forward in the crowd everyone moving toward this tunnel a kind of underground passage that was packed so tightly It's a long line of people trying to get on the train to Poland Eileen trying to explain that. I am speaking quite startled. These are volunteers here,
you're. Not many of us We need order here. Why you never know panic, you have to do better. Don't let things get out of hand. Stop it quiet hence hand, actions are love any further problems. Stop what do you know? You know Mozilla them on to the market, even when you blew up I didn't. I didn't think three lines rely given that make them make way for us to make way for us to make way for us.
My client them. Let us simply do not want my seat them. That's programming, let us through. Oh my god, nine! I always gets my gas even less than it was. we ve gotten up to the platform going up women's women's and children's rights and our medicine was good Stop what our headquarters yet headquarters. We're going up a stairway and
Perhaps the headquarters of the volunteers- is also the place where the women and children can rest. All lot of women, was sitting on the cardboard rugs. Why this is a hall of, I would say, probably hundred five hundred people in its lots of little babies. Are women in a black popper jacket: she's, just changing her son's underwear and a little boy in a blue jacket, crying just sobbing on a chair, little boys really sad
this meeting, which is excellent. Whenever Sabrina I'm a reporter for the New York Times, can I talk to you a little bit? Yes, to tell me speaker in this, so we Finns very good. It's very good. So what is your name? My name is there alone a nice to meet you committed to, and then, where did you come from, I'm from supervision? The bodies lot of people from the translation today from somebody should? Yes, yes, a load off yes, Ilona watch: how are you feeling right now this very year, we s cat, really scared, and we don't know where we come. What will be our future? We don't know that
Everything will better within a dance and religion, something else that, yes, we are hoping for the best. Yes, the police, as balanced as my Europe rear. My my answer to your point across the Euro dollar I was originally a private business shape media. Without I used wisely. I was leaving yesterday with with my daughter, and I have just was sobbing and the train I was. I left my whole family there, my husband's everybody, everybody still there. I didn't take anything with me just just my daughter. this new era that somebody random Isabel Babushka, given that the private menacing Ryan is nine nine. We both cried yesterday on the train and this morning she she asked me. The question is: if she was grown up girl, she said:
the right decision to leave- and I said I don't know which disappeared- you look it up, we need which, with its vision, the Asians review for regular over us. It's a bad question. Yes suggests process would have room right now. I'm your daughter toying with the new criteria, the postponement. in my view, these look at it in the new year. Does a good job in this up and I didn't want you anyone most of them were yet, but the visitor I'm not leaving the country, I am only going to what you re, I'm not leaving the country- and I know I'm gonna- be returning- may not come with us that we need I don't want you for your words and no, I love my homeland. Yes, was about three it
I'm trying to make the right decision, but I dont know I am. I reckon making the right decision. My husband tells me I need to take her. Responsible for her life. To conclude the work and he's not deprive any random numerous them. What nobody not only view she's gonna use technology- I just have my family gathered. All of our southern said. Go you must go. We must pursue I'm just sending thoughts out of the cosmos that it's gonna be ok That's a good to go please see ten.
Your name is TIM person. I station was a little boy named him, He was waiting by himself on a pile of suitcases. Jim, how old are you squid, contributed seven pool. a Mamma vineyards and then she's upstairs she went to get us out of here downstairs exactly goods upstream downstairs. What else do you know an English him down? I speak russian leave. I speak Ukrainian and I speak English. A good deal Avoidances suggests
right now. I don't know where I am We appeal for Europe to your point is silence. I came, Slovens I came for me to take my shining, like my grandmother, gave me for the journey it. It's like my grandmother's. Very warm one's political storm machine. First of all, thank you will give this shocking I want to tell you a secret in the car when I was in the car. I pulled out one of my t actually too, one in this one, with my gloves, in with you
is about my English and he said you were you a gale How do you translate Keith here I asked him what he meant, I mean the city Keith water, water pop up under one nation, you that's where my Dad was when there was still no war. That's him like this extra layer thing, I kind of like a big role on tv or take this apart. This, young and redoing redoing
new hands on Sunday for the first time, a mirror Officials said that russian attacks against ukrainian civilians two war crimes and that the EU it states was collecting evidence that could eventually be used for such a charge of you hours later journalists for the times witnessed. The russian shelling of a street you caused by civilians to flee fighting north of Keith, One of the russian missiles killed a woman hurt. Children in a family friend photographs showed the day.
Children still wearing their backpacks, as of Sunday night. Ok, to the EU and at least three trade and sixty four ukrainian civilians have been killed Seven hundred fifty nine have been injured, the start of the war. we'll be right back. I cast is supported by USA, facts how's, the country's pop. Nation, changing and growing. Who is imminent, into the? U s our students feeding or backsliding? U s a fact invite you to find these answers in non partisan numbers, not rhetoric its stated union in numbers? Is data driven snapshot of America allowing you to judge
The nation for yourself with historical metrics, see the data at. U S facts, DOT org here what else you need to know over the weekend. Russian police, arrested more than four thousand anti war protestors who had taken to the streets, despite a set of Connie and new laws put in place spite Vladimir Putin that make it a crime Post war in Ukraine. one of those laws could even make it for Russians to call it a war since has instead granted as a special military operation nevertheless protestors,
Russia more defiant chanting no to war today Episode was produced by Lindsey, Garrison, Sidney, Harper and Kalen Roberts. It was by Michael, been. Why contain original music by Marian Lozano and was engineered by Chris. Would our theme you is bind him one burg and mainland fork of Wonderingly it for the daily. I'm likeable borrow see tomorrow.
Transcript generated on 2022-03-08.