By Michael Kahn

KRAMOLIN (Czech Republic) – Yulia Boiko and Alisa Artiukh hid underground in the besieged Ukrainian city Mariupol for 2 weeks before attempting to escape on foot.

They carried nothing but water, cookies, clothing, and a ukulele. The mothers, who were single, walked their boys through the streets of Prague, past dead bodies and landmines to begin an eight day journey to reach safety in a Czech village.

Artiukh is a 31-year-old social worker and music instructor who said, “We decided that if we died we would meet it face to face rather than hiding.” He also described going through military checkpoints.

Artiukh said in English that “we wanted to walk out Mariupol because the shelling” “Everything was going to explode.”

Walking was more secure than driving, she said. “You could even see the mines.”

Tens to thousands of civilians are now trapped in Black Sea port, some in basements, with decreasing supplies of water, food and medicine. Mariupol, once home to more than 400,000 residents, has been destroyed and encircled by Russian bombardment ever since its invasion over a month ago.

Local officials claim that thousands were killed. According to the United Nations, thousands of civilians could have been killed in this city. This is a major objective of Moscow’s special military operation in Ukraine.

Artiukh claimed that her apartment was destroyed by bombs, and she paid it off in December. Boiko stated that Artiukh’s home was damaged in a strike by the military and her documents were burned.

More than 4.2 Million refugees fled Ukraine since Russia invaded on February 24, with the majority crossing into Europe at borders in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Russia claims it wants to “denazify” Ukraine and demilitarize the country with “special military operations.” Both the West and Ukraine claim the invasion of February 24, 2004 was unlawful and inexcusable.

‘LOST EVERYTHING’

Boik, Artiukh and their companion fled March 17th. They described a trek of nearly 100 kilometers (62 miles) and then traveled by bus and train from Lviv to Lviv. The two fled to Poland.

Boiko, 34 years old, stated that they lost all when they left. Boiko was speaking at a chalet on the edge a forest, 122km (76 miles) away from Prague. My family is what keeps my mind and heart in Mariupol. “I don’t know where they went.”

Although some refugees have fled to the west, others have chosen to remain in central European countries, such as Poland or Czech Republic. These countries have large, pre-war Ukrainian communities.

Their priority is to find schools for their 11- and 8-year-old sons, and learn Czech so that they can start working. Although they plan to relocate closer to Prague and learn Czech so that their sons can start working, there is little prospect of them ever coming home.

Artiukh stated, “There’s nothing to return to.”

(Additional reporting by Jiri Scacel, editing by Frank Jack Daniel