People flee Dnipro, once an island of calm, as the horrors of war approach.

For weeks the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro was a relatively calm oasis where life continued more or less as in peacetime, even as fighting raged in neighboring regions to the north, east and south.

But with word that Russian forces have launched a new offensive and plenty of evidence of the misery that accompanies such fighting, many residents of Dnipro have decided to leave.

Residents flocked to the train station in the city center on Tuesday, lugging suitcases and carriers holding small dogs, cats and at least one Guinea pig. Most said they were frightened that a war that has caused so much death and destruction since Russia first invaded on Feb. 24 could now reach their doorstep. Already, they said, rocket attacks had hit targets in the city outskirts and neighboring towns, rattling glass and shaking nerves. Read more

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