“I have absolutely nothing”: Dispatches from Ukraine’s growing refugee crisis


The number of people fleeing Ukraine since the Russian invasion began has now reached 2.1-2.2 million people, according to the head of the United Nation’s refugee agency UNHCR.

Their native country has turned into a deadly battlefield. After the invasion, several Ukrainian women and children began to flee to nearby countries for safety and a new life. Ukrainian men between the ages of 16 and 60 are required to stay behind and fight.

Journalist Wesley Dodd has been reporting from the Polish/Ukrainian border on the growing humanitarian crisis.

“These are people who’ve been through a very, very difficult time. A lot of people here are also frankly surprised that they’re suddenly refugees,” said Dodd. “One woman said to me, last week, I had a house, a mortgage, a credit card, a car, foreign vacations booked. And today I have absolutely nothing.”

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Fear No Fact.

Don't just take our word for it.


Center-rated reporting

According to media bias experts at AllSides

AllSides Center-rated reporting May 2026

Transparent and credible

Awarded a perfect reliability rating from NewsGuard

100/100

Welcome back to trustworthy journalism.

Find out more