Now i feel that all ukrainians my relatives. reporter: before she leave, maria shows us a heart-shaped ukrainian flag given to her by polish children to protect her. those returning walk past a carriage that says safety above all. but the train leaving platform 5 disappears into a war zone where safety is a dream. ed lavandera, cnn, poland. well, still ahead, as explosions ring out in kyiv, the city is under a strict curfew aimed at preventing more civilian casualties. our breaking news of the war in ukraine continues after a break.
A quick call to another friend, the mayor of mykolaiv. sasha. at the station, a lightning visit. handshake, hellos to some of the people in line for trains to poland, and an update on the situation from volunteers. sadovyi is a wartime mayor now. his city hosting hundreds of thousands of displaced ukrainians. people happy about peace city. i think one of the ladies said i m happy to be alive, she said. yes. reporter: we finally catch up with him long enough to ask a few questions on the station platform.
Ukrainians. people happy about peace city. i think one of the ladies said i m happy to be alive, she said. yes. reporter: we finally catch up with him long enough to ask a few questions on the station platform. not as packed as in the first days of the war with chaotic scenes of ukrainians fleeing the bombing. they have a system to evacuate people now, he tells me. what do you think your responsibility is today? it s my responsibility arrive everyone citizens like my mother, my father. reporter: you re convinced, you told me earlier that that will end in victory for the ukrainian people? i believe in our victory 100%. it is great. reporter: you have no doubt? no. never give up. only victory. reporter: shortly after this station visit, it s on to a
Person to the city to meet with president zelenskyy. you re seeing footage of that meeting on tuesday on that screen. they say they wanted to let him know that ukraine is not alone in its fight. you are fighting for your lives, your freedom, but we know that you are also fighting for our lives and our freedom. and it s for us very important. we are bringing here full support for your future, not only european, but eu membership. should be agreed the next couple of days or weeks, and the candidate status should be given at the end of this year at the latest. well, meanwhile, outside the safety of that very secretive meeting, russian forces blasted a number of neighborhoods. local officials say at least four people were killed when shells hit this apartment building.
As brutal and as barbaric as the bombardment that ukrainian city has been. there is no question in ukrainians minds that what they re fighting for. they re fighting for theriault home. they re fighting for their future. they absolutely reject any idea that russia will be imposing its own system, you know. its philosophy of life and governance on ukraine. if there was ever a doubt about ukrainians identity, about ukrainians willing to live in a liberal democracy, those doubts have disappeared once russian tanks started crossing the ukrainian border on the morning of february 24th. but yet you must have some concern for your family s safety. but despite that, and i m hearing that from many ukrainians, by the way, that we re talking to here in the western part of the country, i guess your position is this is my country, and i have no intention of becoming a refugee. because you re an american ukrainian. so you could legally leave, but you re choosing not to.