Thousands of people fled the Ukrainian capital today as the Russian invasion continued.
Mirror reporter Andy Lines was among those who had to leave Kyiv because Russian tanks were getting close to his hotel.
Here he recounts his experience...
It was an incredible and dramatic exodus - all to escape from war.
Tens of thousands of terrified people desperately inched their way towards safety.
I joined those fleeing Kyiv today to avoid the horrors of the Russian invasion.
They went by car, train, bus, bike and even on foot.
For security reasons we had been ordered to leave Kyiv immediately as Russian tanks rolled in perilously close to our hotel.
Before we left at 8am I had already been evacuated for fear of a missile attack into a deep underground car park - twice!
It truly was an extraordinary day.
On one of the country’s busiest motorways we passed a squadron of Ukrainian tanks hiding in the verges.
The T72s and T64s were waiting to repel any Russian invaders.
But to see them standing there - with their commanders sitting on the top ready for action - so close to a motorway service station was particularly chilling.
We had inched along mile after mile after mile on the E40 before reaching the MO6.
I’ve never seen a traffic jam like it.
It was horrendous.
In the first four and a half hours we covered just seven miles.
There was one three hour period when our driver never once got into second gear.
It took us five hours 38 minutes just to get out of the city.
There were rusty 30-year-old Ladas, tractors and brand new expensive Mercedes.
Minibuses, motorbikes and giant trucks politely competed for space.
But everyone knew the enormity of the situation and I only heard one angry toot of a horn during the gruelling 13 hours trek.
All the drivers wanted to do was to reach safety for the night.
Former factory worker Vasiliy, 64, wound down his window during one stop.
He was driving his light blue battered old Lada with just one working rear brake light.
He had driven in to Kyiv to pick up his son, daughter-in-law and grandchild.
On his roof rack was a pushchair and a suitcase.
He said: “I come from Zhytomyr in central Ukraine.
“I came to pick up my son who lives in Kyiv. I came yesterday when I heard that Kyiv was shelled.
“I’m glad we were able to get out and leave.”
As cars edged past us they were all packed many with four or five people squeezed into the back seat.
All were sombre. No-one was laughing.
But despite that there was a real spirit of camaraderie.
We passed the same cars on the three-lane carriageway so often that we ended up on nodding terms.
Several people gave me a thumbs up and reassuring wave when they realised we were journalists.
One woman was making a cheese and tomato sandwich on her lap for her young son.
She spoke no English but opened her window and signalled to ask me if I’d like her to make me one as well.
Many cars had children and grannies and several had pet cats and dogs. One woman had her brown pomeranian sitting in her lap in the front seat - constantly stroking it to give the dog reassurance.
In another, a black and white spaniel sat between two young children.
What was more incredible we passed thousands and thousands of people actually WALKING to safety.
The Polish border may be over 500 miles away from Kyiv but they wanted to make a start.
Carrying huge rucksacks, supermarket shopping bags and wheeling suitcases they walked along the hard shoulder.
The blue and yellow Ukraine flag fluttered on a huge advertising screen.
Underneath a group of youngsters walked with their cases.
At times the line of people stretched as far as the eye could see.
Some stopped in lay-bys for a break and to play with their children.
Ten miles out from Kyiv a group, including several women, stood at the roadside trying to hitch a lift.
Then within a mile there were dozens and dozens more.
I’ve never seen so many hitchhikers on a single stretch of road.
On the other side of the carriageway as we headed west several convoys of Ukrainian troops were racing back down into Kyiv ready for the fight ahead.
Several of them proudly paraded the Ukrainian flag.
As they drove past they received huge cheers.
When we were still in Kiev, before we reached the countryside, there was a massive military presence.
Along the side of the road armed camouflaged soldiers hid under netting, surrounded by green sandbags, waiting for any Russian troops heading in.
Outside the Beresteiski metro station a squad of heavily armed soldiers stood on guard.
One smoked a cigarette and yawned as he spoke to an elderly woman.
In the city there were queues at every cashpoint we passed.
But they were nothing compared to the lines of cars at the petrol stations.
They were huge and some drivers were forced to resort to pushing their vehicles to the pumps to make use of every last bit of fuel.
And there chaotic scenes at the main railway station as people clamoured to get on the last trains out.
Mums, dads and children pushed to get on and most trains were absolutely crammed.
Very few people wanted to stay and those who did wanted to fight.
The rest fled wondering if they would ever be able to return to their homes.
The journey to Lviv took 14 hours but it was a route for safety for so many.
