Ukrainians shrugged off predictions of war. Now it’s a mad dash to leave.

It was an attack few Ukrainians anticipated would happen, certainly not on this scale. For weeks, their president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and his advisers downplayed the possibilities of a Russian assault, even chastising the United States and European countries for constantly warning that an attack would happen. There were no evacuation plans or other elements of a comprehensive strategy to keep Ukrainians safe and secure in the event Russian tanks rolled in.

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On Wednesday night, restaurants and bars had been crowded with well-dressed people hours before the attack. Many residents attended the opera or strolled with their families past Kyiv’s centuries-old cathedrals. Airplanes arriving in Ukraine were full.

“We never expected this at all,” said Ludmila, referring to the Russian assault. She and her colleagues withheld their family names out of concern for their security.

By Thursday, the fears of a nation could be seen in the long queues at ATMs, gas stations and grocery stores to stock up on food and necessities. The fears could be seen in the massive traffic jams of cars filled with families desperately trying to leave the city. And they could be seen at the bus station, where passengers – carrying what little they could stuff in small suitcases – waited in snaking lines.

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