96 of the top 100 most wealthy people had already fled the country on private jets by Feb 13. Still relatively calm, will the Russian reach Kyiv?

Russian attack causes panic in Kyiv as people flee

Long queues of cars form towards exits from Kyiv as people shelter in the city’s underground stations after Russia’s attack.

By Al Jazeera Staff
Published On 24 Feb 202224 Feb 2022

The sound of explosions on the edge of Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and air sirens set off by a full-scale Russian invasion of the country have prompted the city residents to panic and flee for safety.

On Thursday morning, long queues of cars formed from the city centre towards various exits out of Kyiv and people took cover in the city’s underground stations and other safe places, according to local media.

Al Jazeera’s Andrew Simmons, reporting from Kyiv, said that just after 5am local time (03:00 GMT) the hotel he was staying at was “virtually shaking with the sound of explosions”.

“They weren’t in the city centre. They were in the distance. The sky was going orange and red and 15 seconds later you’d hear the explosion so it was some distance away initially. And then it got closer and we heard all across the country reports of explosions,” he said.

“People were initially just panicking and running for cover in some places and the word went out from the president that Russia was invading. He said, ‘please stay calm.’”

Simmons also said that at the moment “there is a very eerie atmosphere in the centre of the city”.

“That’s because we are not sure whether armoured columns are heading in this direction,” he added.

Ukraine’s Korrespondent news outlet reported that the traffic jams formed from central Kyiv towards Zhytomyr and other exits from the city at 6am local time (04:00 GMT).

Local authorities have been urging Kyiv residents to stay at home.

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