At 4 AM on the fourth day of the war, my train pulled into Lviv, Ukraine, and hundreds of refugees began to disembark when a 5-year-old boy fainted in the corridor of a passenger car. As his mother frantically tried to resuscitate him, a crush of refugees pushed behind them. Outside the car window about a thousand desperate refugees clamored to get on a train to Poland.

Read my first report for The Nation to find out what happens next. With millions fleeing Ukraine, the railways have become a vital tool of escape. But with no guarantee at landing a seat, just getting on the train is a fight for survival.

More reporting from the war to come.

Photo: Massive crowds at the Lviv train station; Gaelle Girbes / Getty Images