‘I couldn’t leave my son’: the Ukrainians going into the war zone

Men heading to Ukraine give their passport to a Polish police officer. Most are travelling toward Kyiv, where Russian tanks are advancing. Photograph: Alessio Mamo/The Guardian

Platform four or three: at the railway station in Przemyśl, Poland, the fates of hundreds of Ukrainians lie divided. On platform four, families fleeing the Russian bombing of Ukraine get off the carriages, seeking asylum in Europe. At platform three, dozens of Ukrainian men and women are about to board a blue train bound for Odessa, southern Ukraine.

Oksana from Kyiv stands on the train to Odessa. ‘I’m not leaving my country at such a difficult time.’ Photograph: Alessio Mamo/The Guardian