They lay blankets down on the cold tiles of subway stations and basements, and settled in to wait. They guided baby carriages or wheelchairs down the stairs. In these darkened shelters, they scrolled for news on their phones, or used them to distract frightened children.

In Ukraine's capital, many residents hurried underground for safety overnight Thursday and Friday as Russian forces fired on the city and moved closer. Outside, gunfire and explosions could be heard. Shelling sliced through a Kyiv apartment building and pummeled bridges and schools. 

Families huddled together on the crowded platforms of ornate subway stations, and one boy slept in an armchair that had been brought down. Many people expressed horror and shock at the violence and sudden threat to their lives, and wondered what would come next.