"Lucky we have fuel left to escape": The Israelis who escaped the fighting and got stuck on the Polish border

Danny and Polina Krikonz from Ashdod and Yaakov and Talia Lev from Ashkelon were stuck for three hours at the border crossing to Poland, from which, like thousands of others, they would begin to flee the war sweeping Eastern Europe.

From the cold night, Ambassador Alon Shoham, who entered from Poland and picked them up on a special bus to a place of safety, rescued them.

Yoav Itiel

24/02/2022

Thursday, 24 February 2022, 22:58 Updated: 23:26

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In the video: Two Israeli couples stranded on the land border crossing between Ukraine and Poland (courtesy of those photographed)

Danny and Polina Krikonz from Ashdod and Yaakov and Talia Lev from Ashkelon are two Israeli couples in their thirties, who were stuck for three hours tonight with thousands of other people at the Shaini-Medika border crossing in Ukraine, trying to cross the border into Poland and from there back to Israel.

They landed in Ukraine just a week ago, and many others did not believe that Russia would indeed start a campaign and they would get into a war, even though Israel and many other countries had already called for an exit from the country, before the Russian invasion.

When they reached the coveted border crossing, they found thousands more flocking to it.

From the cold night, the Israeli consul, who entered from Poland and picked them up by a special bus, rescued them.

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"Friends are stressed, we're a little less."

The Israeli couples (Photo: courtesy of those photographed)

They came to Ukraine for their wedding photography business.

Today they were supposed to board a flight home, but in the morning, on Talia's birthday, the skies of Ukraine were closed to civilian flights and they received a message from the airline that their flight had been canceled.

They had already checked out at a hotel in the city of Lvov, where they were staying after arriving a week ago for a fashion production of wedding dresses, and did not think they would get caught up in the war.

They said that although they had taken out rescue insurance from the country - the company informed them that there was an exception clause, according to which they do not rescue if there is a danger to the rescue team - and that is the situation now ("So what's the matter?", They wondered).

"A lot of people are starting to come here from Kiev and Odessa, also locals of course," they reported, "huge traffic jams on the way out of the cities. Click at the border crossings. We leave. There is a feeling that everyone is moving somewhere. Even when looking at the street, people mostly run."

Thousands at the border crossing (Photo: Official website, Walla system!)

The city is only 60 kilometers from the border with Poland and it is usually an hour's drive at most, but the main roads were congested and dangerous.

"Friends with an SUV picked us up from the hotel and we made the route to the destination on side roads. They are local and know the way," Danny said.

"Now no one knows exactly what the situation is and how long it will take to get to the border and how long it will take to cross. Friends are stressed, we are a little less."

It eventually took them more than six hours to make their way, including about an hour in line at a local gas station, where they discovered they no longer accept credit cards and demand payment in cash, generally limiting refueling to just 20 gallons per car.

"Lucky there is fuel left. That's not obvious either," Danny said.

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