BBC’s Clive Myrie leaves Kyiv and posts heartfelt message to Ukrainians

Myrie has become a staple of the BBC’s reporting from war-hit Ukraine, often leading reports from Kyiv in an armour vest as the city is besieged by Russian shells.

On Sunday evening, the presenter appeared to have left the war-torn city, writing on social media: “It was a long, day of driving and queuing to get out of Kyiv.

“Imagine having to leave all you know in a hurry because you’re being shelled! What do you pack? Do pets come too?

“It’s freezing cold and you pray those in neighbouring countries will welcome you, not despise you”.

Russian troops are advancing towards Kyiv, but have been stymied in their efforts by fierce Ukrainian resistance.

The nearby town of Irpin came under heavy Russian bombardment at the weekend. Several civilians attempting to flee towards Kyiv were killed by the missiles, including a young family.

Around 1.7 million Ukrainians have fled the war, at least 1,000 civilians have been estimated to have lost their lives. The figure is thought to be higher and among them are children.

Writing on Sunday evening, Myrie said: “My thoughts are with the 1million who’ve fled #Ukraine because they might be killed.

“The millions who fled #syria and many other millions escaping repression,poverty, war. They all pray they’ll be welcomed in other countries as human beings. That’s all they ask”.

In an address to the nation on Sunday, Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky vowed justice for those killed by Russian bombs.

He said: “We will find every bastard who shot at our cities, our people, who bombed our land, who launched rockets.

“There will be no quiet place on this earth for you. Except for the grave.”

In its latest assessment of the conflict, the British Ministry of Defence said Russia had “probably made minimal ground advances over the weekend”.

“It is highly unlikely that Russia has successfully achieved its planned objectives to date,” it said.

Over the weekend, Russian forces targeted Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and Chernihiv from the air, said the assessment.

The shelling was particularly heavy in the southern port city of Mariupol, it added.