Ukrainians Luba and Rodion rushed through the tunnel at Lviv train station with all their belongings packed in a large suitcase and a few smaller bags. Their most valuable cargo is their daughter, who was born a month and a half ago, riding in a comfortable stroller. They headed to Zaporizhzhia after being evicted from their home in Uzhhorod, near the border with Slovakia. “They raised the price and we could not afford it,” Luba said, trying to hold back tears. Unpublished reports show that rents are rising in the safest parts of the country as more people leave the front lines in the east and south. Luba said this was the second time she had been forced to flee her home by a foreign invader – she was 17 when Russia invaded Crimea in 2014. “It was horrible,” he said. As soon as she turned 18, she moved, leaving behind the horror of that war. The young couple, both in their 20s, said they focused on finding a safe place to live, knowing that the Russian army was close to Zaporizhzhia and Rodion could be called upon to take up arms to defend his country. “I have no military training,” he said. “But I will unite with the other men and protect our land.” While they would soon be boarding a train for an uncertain future, they are going with hope – metaphorically and literally. They named their daughter Nadiya, which in Ukrainian means hope. Nadiya is sleeping in her stroller. (Jaap Arriens for CNN) Waiting for a train to Kyiv, Volodymyr Symonenko and his wife were going home, or whatever was left of it. At the train station, photos were shared from the building in Hostomel, where he lived with his wife. It was February 24, the first day of the invasion, when Simonenko said he saw Russian helicopters flying overhead with rockets. “I wish I had a Stinger rocket with me to shoot down the helicopters,” he said. But instead they had to seek refuge in the cellar of the building for 20 days with the other residents who survived the attack.
The retired soldier said he was part of the Soviet army and remained in the Ukrainian armed forces after the Kremlin lost control of the country. He admits he has always feared that Russia would want to take back this land. After spending time in Lviv, the couple will return to Hostomel to be with their children. Their son is a soldier. They know the walls and windows of their apartment are damaged, but he said the roof is still intact and that is enough for them to try to rebuild their house.