The Russian volunteers helping Ukrainian refugees

The people helping those forced to flee from Moscow’s invasion are doing so as a way to deal with their own fear, guilt, despair and anger, write Mary Ilyushina and Ksenia Ivanova

A young Ukrainian refugee disembarks from the train at the Moskovsky railway station in St Petersburg, holding her dog in her arms (Photo for The Washington Post by Ksenia Ivanova)

To avoid the authorities, thousands of displaced Ukrainians in Russia are relying on a discreet network of unofficial volunteers working to bring war refugees through Russia to safety in Europe. It is a sort of Slavic echo of the Underground Railroad – the name given to the system of routes and safe places established in 19th-century America to help those escaping slavery.

These volunteers are not linked to each other, and are not part of any organisation. They often do not live in the same city and, for safety, most of them will never see each other in person. The common denominator is the risk they face from the Russian security forces, who are suspicious of citizen initiatives and have cracked down on all manner of civil society groups.