Pictures from the Poland / Ukraine border checkpoint

[swatski]

This is incredibly heartbreaking.

I want to repost some pics from my younger brother who's at the border helping the refugees. He has recently moved back to Poland and lives in Krakow, not too far from the Poland's eastern border.
Here is what he wrote (on his FB account):

"Pictures from the border checkpoint in Hrebenne-Rawa Ruska in the night on Saturday. Hundreds of volunteers helping war refugees from Ukraine.
Those women and children who come to the border walk/wait often for more than 10 hours in the cold. Once they pass, they get hot food and drink and are transported to shelters or private places.
I've met some who had 1/2 hour time to pack their stuff, i.e. small rucksacks like those you take for a day trip.
They leave families, houses, schools, jobs, their entire life behind with completely uncertain future. They see they cities bombarded and they don't understand why."






In talking to him, he pointed out how completely surreal it feels over there...

It hits home for me, too. So happens, my family hails from Lwow (Lvoov), or Lviv nowadays, which was Poland before the WWII along with the western half of the nowaday Ukraine. My grandparents were kicked out of their homes in 1939 by the advancing bolsheviks who attacked Poland in the immediate aftermath of German invasion in September 1939 (see Ribbentrop-Molotov pact); they, too, were given minutes to pack and run for their lives, in exile for the next five years and then brutalized by the Germans; those in the family who survived resettled in Wroclaw, nowadays south-west Poland, a town that changed hands a lot and was German before the WWII; I was born there.

My grandmother was the sweetest Lady that ever lived. However, she hated the russians; so much so, growing up we were not allowed to play russian songs or watch any shows, it was triggering.

And here we are... Almost a Centry later, those mutherfuckers are at it, again.
I must admit, I struggle to contain violent thoughts towards their deranged, psychopathic leader.

Anyway...
I feel I need to be on the water right now.

--

 

[Mesa50]

This is incredibly heartbreaking.

I want to repost some pics from my younger brother who's at the border helping the refugees. He has recently moved back to Poland and lives in Krakow, not too far from the Poland's eastern border.
Here is what he wrote (on his FB account):

"Pictures from the border checkpoint in Hrebenne-Rawa Ruska in the night on Saturday. Hundreds of volunteers helping war refugees from Ukraine.
Those women and children who come to the border walk/wait often for more than 10 hours in the cold. Once they pass, they get hot food and drink and are transported to shelters or private places.
I've met some who had 1/2 hour time to pack their stuff, i.e. small rucksacks like those you take for a day trip.
They leave families, houses, schools, jobs, their entire life behind with completely uncertain future. They see they cities bombarded and they don't understand why."

View attachment 173021

View attachment 173022
View attachment 173023 View attachment 173024

In talking to him, he pointed out how completely surreal it feels over there...

It hits home for me, too. So happens, my family hails from Lwow (Lvoov), or Lviv nowadays, which was Poland before the WWII along with the western half of the nowaday Ukraine. My grandparents were kicked out of their homes in 1939 by the advancing bolsheviks who attacked Poland in the immediate aftermath of German invasion in September 1939 (see Ribbentrop-Molotov pact); they, too, were given minutes to pack and run for their lives, in exile for the next five years and then brutalized by the Germans; those in the family who survived resettled in Wroclaw, nowadays south-west Poland, a town that changed hands a lot and was German before the WWII; I was born there.

My grandmother was the sweetest Lady that ever lived. However, she hated the russians; so much so, growing up we were not allowed to play russian songs or watch any shows, it was triggering.

And here we are... Almost a Centry later, those mutherfuckers are at it, again.
I must admit, I struggle to contain violent thoughts towards their deranged, psychopathic leader.

Anyway...
I feel I need to be on the water right now.

--

What a heartbreaking mess. It’s so hard to imagine what these people are going through, and what your own family did as well. I can’t imagine being forced to leave my home because of fear. I’d like to believe that I would stay and fight for freedom, but I don’t know if I could. It’s easy to say that I would do this, or that, when I’m not the one there. I pray that we never have to make decisions like these.

 

[CaptRedbeard]

This is incredibly heartbreaking.

I want to repost some pics from my younger brother who's at the border helping the refugees. He has recently moved back to Poland and lives in Krakow, not too far from the Poland's eastern border.
Here is what he wrote (on his FB account):

"Pictures from the border checkpoint in Hrebenne-Rawa Ruska in the night on Saturday. Hundreds of volunteers helping war refugees from Ukraine.
Those women and children who come to the border walk/wait often for more than 10 hours in the cold. Once they pass, they get hot food and drink and are transported to shelters or private places.
I've met some who had 1/2 hour time to pack their stuff, i.e. small rucksacks like those you take for a day trip.
They leave families, houses, schools, jobs, their entire life behind with completely uncertain future. They see they cities bombarded and they don't understand why."

View attachment 173021

View attachment 173022
View attachment 173023 View attachment 173024

In talking to him, he pointed out how completely surreal it feels over there...

It hits home for me, too. So happens, my family hails from Lwow (Lvoov), or Lviv nowadays, which was Poland before the WWII along with the western half of the nowaday Ukraine. My grandparents were kicked out of their homes in 1939 by the advancing bolsheviks who attacked Poland in the immediate aftermath of German invasion in September 1939 (see Ribbentrop-Molotov pact); they, too, were given minutes to pack and run for their lives, in exile for the next five years and then brutalized by the Germans; those in the family who survived resettled in Wroclaw, nowadays south-west Poland, a town that changed hands a lot and was German before the WWII; I was born there.

My grandmother was the sweetest Lady that ever lived. However, she hated the russians; so much so, growing up we were not allowed to play russian songs or watch any shows, it was triggering.

And here we are... Almost a Centry later, those mutherfuckers are at it, again.
I must admit, I struggle to contain violent thoughts towards their deranged, psychopathic leader.

Anyway...
I feel I need to be on the water right now.

--

The only word I can think of for me to describe it is incomprehensible. As a 30 something American, I cannot wrap my head around what this situation must be like to a Ukrainian.

Thanks for the window into your brother's world, he sounds like a great person. Be sure to let him know how appreciative the world is of what he's doing.

 

[zipper]

This is incredibly heartbreaking.

I want to repost some pics from my younger brother who's at the border helping the refugees. He has recently moved back to Poland and lives in Krakow, not too far from the Poland's eastern border.
Here is what he wrote (on his FB account):

"Pictures from the border checkpoint in Hrebenne-Rawa Ruska in the night on Saturday. Hundreds of volunteers helping war refugees from Ukraine.
Those women and children who come to the border walk/wait often for more than 10 hours in the cold. Once they pass, they get hot food and drink and are transported to shelters or private places.
I've met some who had 1/2 hour time to pack their stuff, i.e. small rucksacks like those you take for a day trip.
They leave families, houses, schools, jobs, their entire life behind with completely uncertain future. They see they cities bombarded and they don't understand why."

View attachment 173021

View attachment 173022
View attachment 173023 View attachment 173024

In talking to him, he pointed out how completely surreal it feels over there...

It hits home for me, too. So happens, my family hails from Lwow (Lvoov), or Lviv nowadays, which was Poland before the WWII along with the western half of the nowaday Ukraine. My grandparents were kicked out of their homes in 1939 by the advancing bolsheviks who attacked Poland in the immediate aftermath of German invasion in September 1939 (see Ribbentrop-Molotov pact); they, too, were given minutes to pack and run for their lives, in exile for the next five years and then brutalized by the Germans; those in the family who survived resettled in Wroclaw, nowadays south-west Poland, a town that changed hands a lot and was German before the WWII; I was born there.

My grandmother was the sweetest Lady that ever lived. However, she hated the russians; so much so, growing up we were not allowed to play russian songs or watch any shows, it was triggering.

And here we are... Almost a Centry later, those mutherfuckers are at it, again.
I must admit, I struggle to contain violent thoughts towards their deranged, psychopathic leader.

Anyway...
I feel I need to be on the water right now.

--

Thank You for sharing. I was unaware of the pre WWII borders. Ukraine/Old Poland was a beautiful place before that asshole decided he needed attention.

Sidebar: The Ukrainians appear to be good hunters.


Hunters Bend

 

[Bruce]

Please pass our gratitude to your brother!

Is there a way that we could help? Perhaps a JetBoaters fundraiser to help him to help refugees?

 

[NewGuy]

Bless your brother and the Poles welcoming these people. Hope they can get back home soon and if not, hope we bring a slew of the Ukraines here.

 

[swatski]

I hesitated to post fundraising links, but here are some on the Polish side my brother said he could vouch for.
Polish organizations
- TogetherForUkraine Join The International Aid Operation #TogetherForUkraine | tossacoin.com
- Polish Medical Mission, https://pmm.org.pl/en/ukraine
- Polish Humanitarian Action Homepage - Polska Akcja Humanitarna
- Siepomaga https://www.siepomaga.pl/ukraina
- SOS for Children of Ukraine https://pomagam3.wioskisos.org/en


Keep in mind, the scale of this disaster is difficult to fathom. So far Poland alone absorbed over 1 million refugees, and that is likely to multiply in the coming days/weeks. It is unbelievable.

putin's madness is on full display.

--

 

[swatski]

I just spoke with one of my sisters, who lives in Wroclaw, Poland; she is coordinating some of the support through her work place.
She is involved in this one:
- TogetherForUkraine Join The International Aid Operation #TogetherForUkraine | tossacoin.com
They are currently organizing a shipment of thermal blankets and specialized wound dressings per Ukrainian counterpart request.

 

[swatski]

The number of Ukrainian refugees who had crossed into Poland is currently pushing 2 million... Predominantly women and children running away from bombing, and leaving everything behind. It's really hard to fathom. The Polish government is starting to run out of space to accommodate new arrivals, and regular people are helping in droves.

My brother is hosting a young family at his home in Krakow. He's not sure what their plans are. It's a total mess. But they are warm and safe, for now.



The shipment of medical supplies and specialized wound dressings being picked up by a government transporter last night, my younger sister has helped organize this at her work, she is an administrator of in a fairly large private hospital system.


--

 

[swatski]

there are signs many Ukrainian people are able to survive the onslaught of russian invaders bombing their land into an uninhabitable, hellish nightmare, and survive. it's hard to fathom why it's happening, regular families going about their lives just weeks ago, now wives, children running away from being murdered, leaving husbands (& dads) behind.
at the same time there is courage and goodwill unchained by the crisis. There is hope those who can survive can manage to rebuild their lives, somehow. And leave the evil behind.

Volunteers in Poland are setting up Ukrainian refugees to survive the coming days

As Ukrainians flee the war at home, a makeshift system of supplies and aid has sprung up in the Przemyśl train station.

www.npr.org

Fortunately, there is no shortage of volunteers currently, helping in absentia is better than nothing, albeit part of me is so triggered, ready to depart.

I read this, below, and it felt like a fantasy... just drop everything and run... fixing some old railroad tracks in the mountains to save people, pulling them in.

Poland rebuilds abandoned rail tracks to Ukraine to help refugees fleeing the war

In a remote province in the southeast tip of Poland, surrounded by snow and bare trees, 11 burly men in orange suits are hard at work rebuilding rail tracks first put down in the 19th century.

www.npr.org

--

 

[Bruce]

@swatski, your people are doing wonderful things for the Ukrainians. The world owes the Polish and the Ukrainians more than we could ever give.

 

[Skyhawk223]

Kudos to your brother and family. An awesome thing he is doing to open his home.

 

[swatski]

A picture show of makeshift response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis.

On the front lines of Poland's makeshift response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis

Nearly three million people have fled Ukraine since Russia's invasion began — most of them to Poland. NPR visits two border crossings that highlight the differences in reception refugees are seeing.

www.npr.org