From the early days of the Ukraine war, the city of Lviv – located approximately an hour and a half away from the Polish border, has become a haven for refugees, with thousands arriving each day.
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Other than the refugees themselves, trucks regularly drive in, loaded with humanitarian aid for Ukraine, to be delivered across the border to Kyiv, Odessa, and southern Ukraine. Despite the shelling, the aid is still reaching its destinations.
Near the Polish border, in the town of Medyka, Israel Hayom met Moshe, who arrived from Israel with his wife, Yana, to wait for her sister and niece to arrive from Mariupol. They reached the city on Tuesday.
"I was afraid all the time that something would happen to them on the way, but after they arrived in Lviv, I calmed down," Yana said.
"We'll try to apply for them to be let into Israel, even though they aren't Jewish. But even if they aren't allowed in, I'll be calm knowing they're here [in Lviv]," Yana says.
Many in Lviv fear they will be Russia's next target, and in the past few days efforts have been underway to fortify historical sites in the old part of the city, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The "monument men" said that the Lviv's historical old city had survived many conflicts, but were not sure that it could be defended against Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
On the Polish side of the border, Israel Hayom also met director general of the veteran Zionist youth movement Hashomer Hatzair, Oren Zukierkorn, who arrived with young volunteers from the movement. They come with humanitarian supplies, bring it into Ukraine, deliver it to the refugees – and run out again.
"Two weeks ago, we started bringing supplies into Hungary. We soon learned how to fill out the customs forms," Zukierkorn says. "We have members in Kharkiv, Kyiv, and Lviv. We set up a network that is designed to help people. We help people with limited mobility get across the border. We even sent an ambulance, food, and water."
"We are sneaking people out of cities under shelling, while also sending money to people who can manage. We rented apartments in Lviv to supply accommodations for people en route to the border. Among other things, the young volunteers who came with me are running a kindergarten near the border," Zukierkorn said.
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