As hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians flee, many choose to stay behind: "This is our country, not Russia's"

Thousands of families flee Ukraine looking for a new life in Poland

With each passing day of war, more than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees are added to the tally, streaming into neighboring countries: Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, Latvia, and most of all Poland. The United Nations reports that out of the one million who have fled, 500,000 are children. 

Another one million are estimated to still be in Ukraine, some hiding in shelters. The question for the families remains: Should they stay or should they go? 

One Ukrainian woman who stayed behind with her daughter and granddaughter told CBS News that Ukraine is a democracy, and she worries about her granddaughter's future.  

"This is our country, not Russia's. We don't tell Russia how to live. Why should they tell us?" she said. "If our country is destroyed, what can you do? I do not know."  

Andrey, a 4-year-old boy, was exhausted after 20 hours of sleepless escape. His father stayed behind in their besieged city of Kharkiv. His mother and his brother remained with Andrey.  
 
One Ukrainian woman said that she knows she may never return home.  

"We heard explosions over our heads at the train station and all the way on the train," the woman said. "You're aware you may never return home." 
 
"Every day begins with a text to our relatives," says 16-year-old Dennis. "We ask, 'are you alive?'" 
 
More than 2,000 civilians have been killed, Ukraine officials said. The Biden administration on Thursday offered tens of thousands of Ukrainians living in the U.S. temporary humanitarian protection from deportation.

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