Live Updates: Eli Francovich chronicles the refugee crisis along the Polish-Ukrainian border

March 9, 2022 Updated Fri., March 11, 2022 at 1:43 p.m.

Spokesman-Review reporter Eli Francovich left Spokane on Tuesday, March 8 to follow a local doctor who is providing medical supplies and helping with the refugees flowing across the Polish-Ukrainian border as millions of people flee the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which started on Feb. 24.

Dr. Kyle Varner, a physician and hospitalist at Holy Family Hospital, left for Kraków, Poland, on Sunday.

Varner will be gone for about a month to deliver donated medical supplies at the Poland-Ukraine border, help organize clinics and potentially set up a field hospital for refugees fleeing the conflict in Ukraine.

Eli’s updates and stories from Poland will be shared here as they come in.

March 8

Today I’m flying to Poland for the @SpokesmanReview. Following a Spokane doctor who is helping refugees along the Ukraine border alongside @MedGlobalOrg. If anyone has other story ideas let me know. https://t.co/ROgxEyD9Jr
— Eli Francovich (@elijah_nicholas) March 8, 2022

Godspeed to Gonzaga grad Eli Francovich (‘15) as he reports from the Poland-Ukraine border alongside a Spokane @providence_phc physician. https://t.co/XZnyObsmi9
— Gonzaga University (@GonzagaU) March 9, 2022

March 9

Just landed in Krakow. On flight from Munich to Krakow met a handful of ex-military guys headed to Ukraine + met an aid worker from Arizona. She brought five brake drums from US so her org could repair one of their trucks. She told me United checked bags for free. pic.twitter.com/utmyxOmEbJ
— Eli Francovich (@elijah_nicholas) March 9, 2022

in Warsaw tonight. A city completely destroyed during WW II (90% of all buildings razed, estimated) I’ll meet with Dr Varner tomorrow morning. He spent the day on the Polish-Ukrainian border at a refugee center. As for me? I’ve been awake for about 26 hours so off to bed pic.twitter.com/evYSUUUXer
— Eli Francovich (@elijah_nicholas) March 9, 2022

March 10

Morning in Warsaw, some notes as I wait to meet the doctor: 1.) was traveling and (mostly awake) for 26 hours yesterday, which is good as I slept well last night and now feel fairly lined up with local time (globalism is alive and well, per my photo) pic.twitter.com/AEMUFfG5xb
— Eli Francovich (@elijah_nicholas) March 10, 2022

3.) met a Pole yesterday at the bar who’s niece is in Ukraine. She’s a teacher (I think that’s what he said) and was recently issued a weapon from the Ukrainian government. Obviously we’ve all seen those reports but to hear it first hand is heavy
— Eli Francovich (@elijah_nicholas) March 10, 2022

5.) meeting Dr Varner soon and heading to the Ukrainian/Polish border. I’ll update this thread as we go. Pic of the Museum of Technology pic.twitter.com/ERLMCfgiKc
— Eli Francovich (@elijah_nicholas) March 10, 2022

7.) met up with Dr Varna. Loaded van (which he purchased yesterday for 3,000 euros) and now driving to border. Supplies include: chest tubes, surgical instruments, gowns, IV supplies, tourniquets, bandages, portable ultra sound devices and more pic.twitter.com/EDLLDpiisg
— Eli Francovich (@elijah_nicholas) March 10, 2022

9.) Palmer and Dr Varner have worked together before, particularly in and around Venezuela
— Eli Francovich (@elijah_nicholas) March 10, 2022

10.) headed toward Hrebenne, Poland. Starting to see more buses. “All of these buses are your first clue of what’s going on here,” Varner says pic.twitter.com/FGWO944b0x
— Eli Francovich (@elijah_nicholas) March 10, 2022

11.) Kyle Varner watches refugees at the border of Poland and Ukraine pic.twitter.com/FmtMb3kn2q
— Eli Francovich (@elijah_nicholas) March 10, 2022

March 11

2.) Also feels normal. Went for a walk this AM. Folks out and about. When I told my mom I was here, she told me about the time she was in the Gaza Heights during the 6-day war. Went on a daily run. No issues and pre-internet she barely knew there was a war. Life goes on pic.twitter.com/01p4tZxO72
— Eli Francovich (@elijah_nicholas) March 11, 2022

4.) met Nikolay today. He spoke English well and we chatted about a bunch of things, including backcountry skiing. His main skiing buddy lives in Kiev. Four weeks ago they were skiing in the Carpathian Mountains. Now his friend is “in the trenches” of Kiev
— Eli Francovich (@elijah_nicholas) March 11, 2022

6.) some setbacks today. After some inscrutable bureaucratic back and forth the hospital told Dr Varner he was not needed. This is after they’d sent him a letter of invitation and said local press would be there. Things change. Particularly in war.
— Eli Francovich (@elijah_nicholas) March 11, 2022

7.) plan for tomorrow is to work at a Red Cross aid station at the Lviv railroad, although that depends on what the Russians do overnight and what our transportations situation is. Meanwhile got coffee at a cat cafe :) pic.twitter.com/5nZVoEAXtT
— Eli Francovich (@elijah_nicholas) March 11, 2022