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Outrage as Africans in Ukraine face alleged racism while trying to board train: 'No Blacks'

African students were allegedly denied entry on to trains out of Ukraine, but some call footage Russian propaganda

Ukrainians were accused of racism on social media after clips of African students being denied entry on to a train surfaced amidst the ongoing war with Russia. Several citizens and non-citizens have fled the country following the devastating invasion ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Nigeria, Egypt, and Morocco are among the top 10 countries with foreign students in Ukraine, totaling more than 16,000, as per Ukraine's education ministry.

Originally describing the invasion as a "specialized military operation", Putin, 69, said that he made the decision in order to protect people "who have been suffering from abuse and genocide by the Kyiv regime for eight years". The former KGB agent also said that Moscow did not plan to occupy Ukrainian territories. 

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Korrine Sky, a second-year medical student in Dnipro, told Business Insider that she had coordinated with several African students to try and find a way out of the war-torn nation. "I'm very, very afraid. We're not getting any help from any of the embassies. They have pretty much just said, 'save yourselves,'" Sky told the outlet. She said some African nationals had struggled to board buses heading to the border. "Some people have gone to get buses, but they're not allowing Black people basically onto the buses. They're prioritizing Ukrainians. That's what they say," she explained.

Social media was inundated with comments condemning the alleged racism shown in the clips.

"While empathetic Black people in America are donating money, advocating against the war, and praying for the people of Ukraine, Racist Ukrainians are blocking Africans from trains to escape the war-torn nation. White supremacy and anti-Blackness are global. #AfricansinUkraine," Bishop Talbert Swan tweeted.

"Not only wouldn’t they let them on the trains, but the blocked car movement and now many are sitting in fallout shelters," author Valerie Complex added. "You can hide in fallout shelters but not from racism. So when you pray for Ukraine, also pray that their racism and xenophobia come to an end."

"Any form of injustice is injustice," Consumer Federation of Kenya (Cofek) Secretary-General Stephen wrote. "The #Russian attack on Ukrainians is unacceptable and must stop. The same must be said of any incident(s) of #racism in Ukraine. If Africans are not allowed to board trains to Poland, that is injustice. No one chooses to be born white or black!"

"I feel sorry for Africans in Ukraine. Why block Africans from getting to the train to get out of the country? Pure racism. 😭 💔," journalist Hesborn Etyang chimed in.

On the other hand, there were some who called the reports 'Kremlin propaganda' and claimed that African nationals were boarding the wrong train.

"WRONG. The train was full. Stop being a useful idiot for Kremlin propaganda," one Twitter user wrote. "Ukraine is fighting a fucking war in their own territory and you think they're wasting resources to be racist? Get off the internet, f*** outta here."

"It’s a terrible misunderstanding. They are trying to board the wrong train and they are at the wrong border," another offered. "The arrangement is for them to be received at the Romania entry point, not Poland. #Ukraine doesn’t need people's unwarranted accusations of racism now," they added.