Waiting in line at the border could take up to ten days: Daniil Menshikov on how the border experienced an influx of people with the outbreak of full-scale war

On February 24, 2022, the first refugees appeared on the Ukrainian-Polish border three hours after the start of full-scale Russian aggression. It was across the border with Poland that most Ukrainians fled the horrors of war. People could stand in lines for up to a week. Therefore, the key task was to reassure people and establish the fastest possible border crossing process. And to provide those waiting in lines with everything they needed as much as possible, recalled Daniel Menshikov, then head of Lviv Customs, in an exclusive interview with UNN.

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According to Menshikov, an hour after the first Russian missiles, bombs, and shells began to explode, he was at work. He realized that the situation was extraordinary, that he would have to face a lot of new problems, make non-standard decisions and take responsibility for them. In particular, it was clear that long queues of people fleeing the war would form at the border, and it was necessary to prevent chaos.

In about three hours, the first people began to appear at the checkpoints. And quite quickly it turned into an endless stream of people. Our checkpoints were simply not ready for this. Confused, nervous women, children with tears in their eyes, grandparents on crutches or in wheelchairs. People could stand in line for up to ten days to get a pass. But they needed something to eat and drink, to go to the toilet, to wash, to warm up somewhere, to hide from the rain and snow. This was a primary challenge for us, which we coped with. Together with the Red Cross, we organized tents for people to stay and food. We provided people with hygiene products and other basic necessities, and many of them even with clothes. After all, people, fleeing from Russian missiles and shells, simply did not have time to pack their bags, and when they got to the border, they simply had nothing to change into,

The situation was kept under control. Although, as the then head of Lviv customs says, there were unpleasant moments when people lost their nerve. But basically, complete strangers always tried to help each other, support each other with a warm word, always looking for a reason to smile and be happy.

"We had seven babies at the GCA during that time. When the first birth occurred, I received a phone call and was told that the holiday was for absolutely everyone who was at the checkpoint at that time. I didn't believe it at first. And then one day I came to another checkpoint and was in labor myself. A baby was born! A smiling mother, a smiling father, who was already seeing his beloved abroad in military uniform. And everyone around me was smiling too," Menshikov recalled.