The Russian army assured Thursday to target with “high precision weapons” military sites in Ukraine, where Moscow has launched a military operation, reported Russian news agencies. Kiev immediately called on the international community to “act immediately”. Already on Wednesday the Quai d’Orsay called on the French present on the spot to leave without delay. This Thursday morning, videos of saturated highways and queues at gas pumps are circulating on social networks, signs of the panic that is invading the country. Europe 1 was able to reach French expatriates in Kiev, whose priority is above all to take shelter.
This is particularly the case for David, who has been in Kiev for a month. This morning, he was suddenly pulled out of bed by the sound of explosions, detonations loud enough to set off car alarms, he says. In his building, in his street, people pack their bags and leave. The streets of Kiev are currently congested with traffic jams and David is currently waiting to find out when he can catch a plane out of the country.
“I had several flight cancellations because I was with companies who finally decided to cancel all their flights. I’m not sure of the status, they said they had closed the airspace, so It’s worrying. We try not to panic and we’re just waiting for instructions from the embassy,” he breathes.
“The police came to open the bomb shelter”
Johann, who has been living in Kiev for a year, has already prepared a bag and food supplies for several days, without really believing in a hasty escape. But that night, he and his Ukrainian girlfriend Sveltana were woken up with a start. “We heard a plane pass over the building, so I told Sveltana, if you hear a plane you put yourself in the middle of the room and especially not at the windows”, he says. “The police came to open the bomb shelter at the bottom of the building. We live on the 12th floor, there’s no point in panicking, but now we’re no longer in doubt, we know it’s going down.”
This Frenchman hopes to be able to hit the road as soon as possible to leave the capital, and take shelter in a small village in the center of the country.