Report
The war in Ukraine makes the Poles fear a Russian attack
Audio 01:15
Ukrainian refugees board a train for Warsaw at Przemysl station, near the Ukrainian-Polish border, on March 7, 2022. (illustration image) AFP - LOUISA GOULIAMAKI
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
More than a million refugees have arrived in Poland, a country bordering Ukraine where the Russian invasion is viewed with apprehension and fear.
In the first days, long queues formed in front of petrol stations in Poland, for fear of a shortage.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, more and more Poles are rushing to renew their passports, fearing for their safety.
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With our correspondent in Warsaw,
Sarah Bakaloglou
In front of this building issuing passports from the center of Warsaw, a long line has formed.
Agata, a 37-year-old Polish woman, waits with documents in her hand.
It was the war in Ukraine that pushed her to ask for a passport for her children.
“
I have two young children, one is two months old and the other is three years old.
You never know how the situation may evolve, so we prefer to be ready to go.
When I see these mothers who have to flee Ukraine, I think we could be next.
It's impossible to predict, it's just horrible and it's better to be prepared just in case.
»
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A little further on, a retired couple is also queuing.
They say they are not there because of the situation in Ukraine, but say they have prepared a list of things to collect, some of which have already been purchased, if the situation deteriorates.
"
Water, medicine, sleeping bags, basic food and personal hygiene products
", lists the man.
“
Everything that the Ukrainians who arrive say they forgot to take
,” confirms his wife.
Pharmacies interviewed said they had been robbed of iodine tablets in the event of a nuclear risk.
According to an SW Research poll for the
Rzcezpospolita
newspaper , 71% of Poles think Russia might attack Poland.
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To read and listen: In Poland, Ukrainians flock to the border to return to fight in Ukraine
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