‘Hellish 20-hour journey’: Man walks from Ukraine’s Lviv to Poland

Long story short: I just walked to Poland.

It was a hellish 20-hour journey undertaken in the middle of winter with thousands of refugees. I saw some terrible things:

— Ukraine Conflict Live 2022 (@UkraineLive2022) February 25, 2022

The Twitter handle shared photographs of a long stretch of stranded vehicles. “Vehicles were backed up for 25 kilometres, many out of gas. Several were abandoned as their occupants fled west on foot as fast as possible,” read the tweet.

Vehicles were backed up for 25 kilometers, many out of gas. Several were abandoned as their occupants fled west on foot as fast as possible. pic.twitter.com/XfTtR99AUH

— Ukraine Conflict Live 2022 (@UkraineLive2022) February 25, 2022

Meanwhile, Ukrainian soldiers persuaded men between the age of 18 to 60 to join the Army. “In one place, a commissar was shouting “say goodbye to your daughters, mothers, and girlfriends; you must turn back and fight the Russian invader!” read the thread.

UA soldiers were stopping cars and busses and yanking out any man aged 18-60 to conscript in the Ukrainian Army. In one place, a commissar was shouting “say goodbye to your daughters, mothers, and girlfriends; you must turn back and fight the Russian invader!” pic.twitter.com/B61MZ48S1n

— Ukraine Conflict Live 2022 (@UkraineLive2022) February 25, 2022

“We made friends with a 24-year-old named Max who was pulled out of the caravan as he talked with us. I had time to get his number before his conscription and he left with a grin of utter disbelief. I will never forget that face,” read the tweet.

We made friends with a 24-year-old named Max who was pulled out of the caravan as he talked with us. I had time to get his number before his conscription and he left with a grin of utter disbelief. I will never forget that face.

— Ukraine Conflict Live 2022 (@UkraineLive2022) February 25, 2022

Heart-wrenching moments were witnessed by the man who set on his journey to Poland. A woman was screaming at the Army to let her husband go, but got slapped and her husband was taken away. Toddlers, old women were also among the people who travelled to Poland on foot.

We made friends with a 24-year-old named Max who was pulled out of the caravan as he talked with us. I had time to get his number before his conscription and he left with a grin of utter disbelief. I will never forget that face.

— Ukraine Conflict Live 2022 (@UkraineLive2022) February 25, 2022

A woman screamed for the army to spare her husband from conscription. A soldier slapped her and took her husband.

Things seem really desperate.

— Ukraine Conflict Live 2022 (@UkraineLive2022) February 25, 2022

Toddlers took the journey hard. Many were forced to walk the distance despite not knowing what was going on.

— Ukraine Conflict Live 2022 (@UkraineLive2022) February 25, 2022

Last thing: this was my view as I crossed into Poland at 7:01 AM local time this morning. I feel that it was a welcome gift from nature. I’m so inconsolably happy to be in the EU. pic.twitter.com/yIrK4YBAHB

— Ukraine Conflict Live 2022 (@UkraineLive2022) February 25, 2022

The Independent report cited the PA news agency quoting Marotta as saying that he had been in Ukraine for a week and a half. He was working as an independent journalist amid the invasion. After speculations went rife over the possibilities of a Russian bombing, he decided to flee Lviv. He reached Poland on February 25.