12 photos show Ukrainian families fleeing the Russian invasion amid warnings of a mass refugee crisis

People wait for trains at a train station as they attempt to evacuate the city on February 24, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Overnight, Russia began a large-scale attack on Ukraine, with explosions reported in multiple cities and far outside the restive eastern regions held by Russian-backed rebels.Pierre Crom/Getty Images)

• Putin announced a "special military action" against Ukraine in the early hours on February 24.
• Less than 24 hours later, photos show Ukrainians fleeing as the war escalates.

Ukrainian citizens fled their homes after the first day of a full-scale invasion.

Train stations were packed with people on the move and roads filled with cars of people leaving the country, with their loved ones and prized possessions in tow.

Before the invasion took place, there were warnings of a mass refugee crisis.

"It is frightening to imagine what scale the refugee crisis could reach in the event of escalating hostilities in Ukraine. It will be a continent-wide humanitarian disaster," Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International's secretary-general, said in a statement before Putin invaded.

On Thursday, Callamard said that the Russian invasion has made the group's "worst fears" come true in a new statement.

"After weeks of escalation, a Russian invasion that is likely to lead to the most horrific consequences for human lives and human rights has begun," Callamard said.