Mass exodus in Ukraine as ceasefire ends

Thousands of Ukrainians are fleeing the country, crossing the border into Russia, as the week-long ceasefire has entered in its final hours.

One guard at the Luhansk border post, which is currently under rebel control, said that at least 5,000 people have crossed into Russia by night’s fall and that the stream of people leaving Ukraine has been flowing continually all week long.

The people packed their cars with what belongings they could carry and left, hoping for a better, safer place to live in. They say that they fear mostly for their children and want, above all, to keep them safe.

The one week truce that is due to end today did not bring and end to the fights, as expected. On the contrary, the shelling and gunfire continued, killing and injuring people on both sides.

Meanwhile, on the political scene, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko urges Russia’s Putin to stop the flow of fighters crossing the border from Russia to Ukraine, Putin urges Poroshenko to extend the truce time limit and the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, gave Poroshenko an ultimatum to disarm pro-Russian rebels.