The roads out of Kyiv have filled with cars as families attempt to get to safer territory following the start of the Russian invasion.
People inside the under-siege country have been warned not to panic but a state of martial law has been declared.
In an address to the nation, president Volodymyr Zelensky told people to stay at home unless they are involved in critical work.
But pictures showed cars bumper-to-bumper on the roads out of the capital with drivers attempting to get closer to the Polish border, where it is seen as safer.
Although there have been fears of a potential invasion for many months, Ukrainian leaders have consistently downplayed the fears and many hoped this day would never come.
Liudmila Gireyeva, 64, was planning to head to the western city of Lviv and then try to move to Poland to join her daughter.
‘We are facing a war and horror. What could be worse?’ she said.
Inside Kyiv, it has been described as ‘eerily quiet’ although large queues have formed at ATMs as news of the ‘full-scale’ invasion spread.
Explosions were heard at dawn in the capital as well as the country’s other big cities of Odesa and Kharkiv after Vladimir Putin’s announcement that the military operation had begun.
Elsewhere, luggage was seen abandoned at Kyiv airport and planes were diverted from Ukrainian airspace.
A striking image of the European flight map showed the skies above the country were completely empty despite crowds of aircraft elsewhere on the continent.
Ukraine’s State Air Traffic Services Enterprise has confirmed it closed the country’s airspace at 12.45am ‘due to the high risk of aviation safety for civil aviation’.
Commercial airlines, including Ryanair and Wizz Air, that were still operating flights have postponed services due to the security situation.
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Early in the morning, Kyiv’s metro system was busy with people, some of whom were carrying bags and suitcases.
Others took to the stations to seek shelter from potential bombs.
One of those hiding inside was Maria Kashkoska. She said: ‘I woke up because of the sounds of bombing. I packed a bag and tried to escape. We are sitting here, waiting.’
Another, Ksenya Michenka, looked deeply shaken as she took cover with her teenage son. ‘We need to save our lives,’ she said.
The Russian Defence Ministry said it was not targeting cities, but using precision weapons and claimed that ‘there is no threat to civilian population’.
Before the invasion began, there were fears that Ukraine’s neighbours would see hundreds of thousands of refugees flooding across the borders.
People had already begun arriving at the Polish border early on Thursday, some of whom had walked for hours.
Many countries have already pulled diplomats out as tensions heightened and the UK on Thursday morning told any remaining citizens to get out as quickly as possible.
MORE : Ukraine’s border forces confirms Russian troops are pouring into the country
MORE : Boris Johnson says UK ‘will respond decisively’ after Russia invades Ukraine
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